Misa Uzumaki, the sister who could have been
by sierra.steinbrecher
Summary: This follows Naruto's older sister Misa as she grows and changes, touching many lives, including Naruto's and Gaara's. This story is not a story of a twin sister following Naruto's every move, but of an older sister who has her own life and calling. There's also an original romance thrown in, but I don't want to spoil it!
1. A different beginning

Misa was so excited she could hardly keep still. It was finally happening. Daddy was going to take Mama to a safe place and when they came back, she was going to have a little brother. Misa wanted a little brother. Itachi had so much fun with his little brother, so much that she couldn't wait to have one of her own. It was almost time.

"Misa." It was Mama. "Come on, we've got to get going." Misa finished smoothing her fur and ran out of her bedroom with her backpack, straight into Kushina. "Are you ready to go to Itachi's?"Misa nodded. "Good girl. Now let's get going."

Misa skipped down the hallway, slid down the stairs, and giggled as her father Minato caught her. "Come on, girl." He carried her outside and next door, where he handed her off to Fugaku. "Thanks for taking care of her. I know you must be busy with the new baby and all."

He nodded. "It's no trouble, really. Itachi makes a great babysitter. I'll tell him you're here. Itachi!" The little boy came running from one of the rooms, holding something in a blanket.

Misa peaked out from behind her dad and looked. "Is that him?" Itachi nodded. "He's so small." She turned and looked up at her father. "Will my brother be that small too?"

Minato laughed. "Probably. You'll see for yourself in a bit. Goodbye." With that, Misa waved goodbye to her parents and ran off to play with her friend.

When bedtime rolled around, Misa was exhausted from all the fun she'd had that day, so she didn't like it very much when she was woken up by her father. He picked her up with one hand and popped home. Misa was very confused. "Daddy, what are you doing?"

Her father put something on the bed and starting getting out his knives. "There's a problem with the village. I'll go and take care of it, but I need you to watch your brother, okay?"

Misa was getting worried. Where was Mama? But she put on a brave face. "Okay." She sat down and took her brother into her lap.

He popped out of the house. Misa sneaked up to the bed and peaked over the side. There he was! Her baby brother! She hopped onto the bed and sat down next to him, staring at his tiny face. He had the funniest lines on his cheeks, but his skin was like Daddy's and Mama's, not like hers. She touched his face. So smooth! She ran one finger through his blond hair. It was a little wet, which was strange, but it was as yellow as Daddy's. His eyes were closed, but she hoped they were blue. She looked at her own flame red hair and orange fur. "I guess you got Daddy while I got Mama."

Then Minato popped back into the room, carrying Mama. He put her on the bed next to Misa. "Look after her Misa. I'll be back soon." And he popped out of the room.

Misa lied down next to Mama. "What's his name?" the little girl asked.

Kushina answered, "Naruto." Misa smiled at the name and fell asleep.

BOOOOOOOM! Misa startled awake. What was that? She jumped off the bed and ran outside. There was a huge crater in their yard, and Daddy was right in the middle of it with… something.

Footsteps sounded as Mama came up behind her. "That's the fox. I've got to help him!" She half stumbled, half ran towards Minato. Misa ran back inside and grabbed Naruto, then rushed back out in time to see huge chains shooting from her mother and binding the huge orange thing.

Orange? Misa looked at the thing, then at herself. Her orange fur was the same exact color as the fox's. Mama and Daddy were talking, but Misa couldn't hear what they were saying, and she was afraid to get any closer to the fox. As they kept talking, they looked sadder and sadder.

Minato looked up and saw her standing there with Naruto in her arms. "Bring him over here, sweetie." Then he looked back at Mama. "Once I'm done with the reaper death seal, I'll seal your chakra inside Naruto Along with the fox. When he tries to control its power, I want you to help him."

Kushina shook her head. "He's our son. That's why I don't want to put such a burden on him. And you can't use that seal! Why not just seal the other half inside of Misa?"

Minato nodded at Misa. "Because if she has half of the Nine Tails she won't be able to look after Naruto. The village wouldn't let them stay together and risk letting him loose again. I'm sure she'll take good care of him. But only you, as his mother, can tell him things. That's why I'm doing this for both of you."

Misa was so confused. Look after him? She was four! She wanted to shout at them, no! You can't go! But her mouth wouldn't move. She just stood there and watched as Daddy summoned something that looked like a ghost. She screamed when the ghost thing put its arm through her father and grabbed the fox's ghost and pulled it inside of Daddy. Then Daddy bent down and, in a puff of smoke, made a weird altar thing appear on the ground.

He walked over to Misa. "I'll take him now." Her arms went limp as he took her brother and placed him on the altar. Then the fox saw the altar. It was not going to be sealed again, especially not in a child! Misa watched, as if in slow motion, as the beast thrust its claws toward Naruto, and as Mama and Daddy jumped in front of it and were pierced through. But she didn't scream. She had lost her voice in the pain.

Mama and Daddy didn't seem to notice. They just stared at Naruto. Then Mama started talking. "Don't be picky. Eat lots and grow strong. Make sure you bathe every day and stay warm. Also don't stay up late. You need lots of sleep. And make friends. You don't need a lot of friends. Just a few, ones that you can really, really trust. Be sure to make your sister one of them."

"I wasn't very good at it, but keep up with your studies and practice your ninjutsu hard. Remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. So don't get too depressed if you can't do something well. Respect your teachers and upperclassmen at the Academy, and especially listen to your big sister." She smiled at Misa.

"Oh, and this is important. It's about the three prohibitions for a shinobi. Be extra careful about lending and borrowing money. Put your mission wages into your savings account. No alcohol until you're twenty. Too much can ruin your health, so drink in moderation. Another prohibition is women. I'm a woman, so I don't know much about this, but… All you need to remember is that this world is made up of men and women. So it's only natural to take an interest in girls. But just don't get hooked on bad women. Find someone just like me or your sister. Speaking of the three prohibitions, be wary of Jiraiya Sensei, you know." Kushina was starting to fade. "Naruto, from now on you're going to face lots of pain and hardship. Be true to yourself. Have a dream and have the confidence to make that dream come true! There's so much…So much more I have to pass on to you.I wish I could stay with you longer. I love you."

Minato smiled through his pain. "I guess my message is the same as your mother's." Then he looked up at Misa, and saw the wet tracks on her cheeks. "That message is for you too, Misa. Look after him, please. I know you'll do a good job." Those words opened the floodgates. Her sobs resonated in the clearing as the seal was finished on Naruto. Once the fox was gone, other ninja streamed in and picked up her parent's bodies. One of the women tried to take Naruto, but Misa wouldn't let go.

That was the last day Misa had as a child. Four years old, and already she was the fiercest protector in the whole of Konoha.


	2. A Half-baked solution

The day after the incident, Danzo waited for a summons from the Third Hokage, calling together the council to discuss the future of the Uzumaki children. This was no small matter. One of them held the Nine Tailed Fox within him, and the other was an abomination. When Danzo, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and the Third Hokage gathered in the council chambers, they were grim faced. Danzo opened up the discussion. "We cannot allow the girl to stay. She will only become a burden on our village and provide a weakness for our enemies to exploit."

The Hokage turned to his fellow council member. "Why do you say this, Danzo? The girl is not a hafwit, nor a cripple. I see no reason why she cannot become a fine ninja. She may even become a great asset if given proper training."

Danzo shook his head. "She will never become a ninja at all. The girl is incapable of using any sort of jutsu."

Homura was nodding in agreement. "Not only can the girl use no jutsus, she is beginning to spread unrest in the village. That orange fur of hers acts as a constant reminder of what occurred only last night, and people are already beginning to ostracize her for it. This also affects her brother."

Koharu added "As the vessel for the fox, we expected some negative treatment from the villagers, but their actions border on murderous. Naruto is now a valuable asset to the village. If he is damaged in any way, the whole village will suffer. If he was not seen in the care of the girl, the villagers might have more pity for the boy, instead of being constantly reminded of what's inside of him, which causes fear and mistrust."

The Hokage knew where this conversation was going. "What do you suggest I do, then?"

Danzo stood up. "She must be…disposed of."

"Killed? She's four years old. I hardly think that sort of action is appropriate."

"Perhaps not killed, just removed from the village. It's either that or assassination."

There was no choice. They had spoken well, and their arguments were valid. Misa would have to leave, for the sake of her brother and everyone else. "How should we explain it to Naruto? The boy will have to be told when he gets older."

"No!" Danzo shouted. He started again, more calmly. "If he's told, there's no telling how he would react. I doubt the two of them would ever meet, so there's really no reason he should know anything." The other two nodded in agreement. Misa Uzumaki was recorded in the fatality record as a victim of the attack of the Nine Tailed Fox, and thrown out of the village with three kunai knives and supplies for a week. They didn't expect her to outlast the month.


	3. Separation

Misa and Naruto were moved to the orphanage the day after the attack. The headmistress tried to separate them so she could put Misa with the other four year olds and keep Naruto with the babies, but she couldn't get Misa to let go. She chalked it up to shock, and gave up.

That night, Misa slept curled around Naruto like a cat with her kitten. She dreamed that she was back in her home, curled up around her favorite teddy bear. Daddy came and lifted her out of bed and carried her outside to look at the stars, like he used to. It was cold in the dream, but the sky was radiant with so many stars. That was when she woke up, and found herself deep in the forest with a backpack, no little brother, and something growling at her out of the treetops.


	4. She's a kitten?

The wildcat listened to the sound of whimpering and cocked her head to get a better idea of the direction of the cries. Once the target was locked, she jumped from one tree to another until she was so close she could smell the prey. She landed on a thick branch and prepared to pounce when, suddenly, her whole body relaxed. Her tail stopped twitching and her legs released from the tense crouching position and hung down on either side of the limb in a more leisurely position. But her eyes were still fixed on the animal below.

It was a good thing that the first predator to hear Misa's cries for help was a wildcat, and a female at that. The wildcats of Konoha Forest were driven by two things, a need for prey and a need for young. The first need had brought the wildcat to Misa, but the second one was what saved her. Wildcats hunt from above, leaping down onto their prey, so they don't need camouflage. Instead, the males have coats of bright red, and the females have orange. This way, they always know if a potential rival or mate is close by. Misa's bright orange fur matched the female coloring almost exactly, making it easy for the female wildcat creeping up on her to mistake her for a kit. And she wanted kits. This mother had just lost two of her kits to a pack of coyotes in the night. So, when no mother showed up, the other wildcat leapt down from the tree and began to approach very slowly.

Misa noticed the Wildcat when it yawned. At first, she just kept very still, but then it dawned on her that she was pretty obvious. So the cat hadn't seen her or wasn't going to attack. After about half an hour, it became apparent that the cat had seen her, but wasn't attacking. Then it leapt down and started crawling toward her. It didn't look hungry or angry, so Misa didn't run. It sniffed her, sneezed, and opened its mouth. Misa squeezed her eyes shut, wondering which part it would bit when there was a slight tugging sensation in her shoulders. She opened her eyes and saw that the cat had bitten into the top of the backpack and was carrying her by it through the trees.

It didn't take very long to reach the oak the cat bedded down in. There was a dip where several thick branches separated from the trunk, a little like a bowl. This bowl had been filled with leaves, mosses, and even some stray feathers. The cat dropped Misa into the center of the dip and lay down next to her, underside out. She still wasn't sure about this, but the night was still cold and the cat hadn't killed her yet. Misa crawled over to the cat and curled up next to it, just like Naruto had curled up next to her what seemed like days ago. The cat started purring at the satisfaction of having a kit again, and the vibrations helped Misa slip into sleep.


	5. Growing up wild style

When Misa woke back up, the wildcat was gone, probably hunting. She decided to spend the morning going through the backpack. In the main pocket she found three kunai knives, a spool of twine, some jutsu paper, and a week's worth of food rations. She unzipped the smaller pocket and found a book. It was a good thing her dad had already started teaching her how to read, because this book was a field guide on the vegetation surrounding Konoha, including the edible ones. Misa quickly packed everything back into the bag, put it on, and began exploring the dip.

It was pretty big, about the size of her old bedroom. The branches that formed it were massive, about three times as thick as she was. One of them had leaves she could reach. She unpacked the book, grabbed the leaves, and identified it within the first few pages. She was in luck. The tree was an oak, full of acorns. Mama had often played with her, gathering acorns and pounding them into flour, then mixing it with water and a little honey. They would make funny shapes with the dough, like long snakes and hearts. They'd pop these in the oven and eat them with Daddy when he got home. Now Misa wished she hadn't remembered. Remembering them made her remember that night, that horrible night. She wondered what Naruto was doing. Misa spent the next few hours kicking through the leaves of the floor of the dip looking for fallen acorns and thinking about her little brother.

She had collected a sizeable pile when there was a rustle in the leaves on the right side of the dip. Misa ran back to where she'd laid the backpack, preparing to get out the kunai, but it turned out to be the wildcat. It had a freshly killed deer in its mouth, which it put down in front of her. When Misa didn't respond, it gently nudged the carcass, and then took a bite out of the hindquarters. She reached into the backpack, brought out one of the kunai, and cut back the skin over the ribcage. If raw fish was edible, why not raw deer? Misa sliced a strip of meat off one of the bones and downed it. It didn't taste all that bad. She sliced off another strip.

The next day, the wildcat woke Misa before dawn. She nudged the girl to the edge of the dip with her muzzle, then leapt to the nearest branch. She looked back over her furry shoulder, waiting for Misa to follow. Evidently, kits learned fast. Misa looked at the distance. She didn't think she could make it. She backed away from the edge. The wildcat growled. Misa was scared to the drop, but at least falling was quicker than being eaten. She got down on all fours, launched herself into the air, and just managed to get one hand on the branch the wildcat had jumped too. It waited for Misa to get her footing on the branch, then jumped to another one about the same distance away. Misa didn't hesitate this time, and managed to get both hands on the branch. She smiled.

Several months after that first excursion, Misa was pouncing through the forest like she'd been doing it her whole life. Her diet of raw meat, edible vegetation, and abundant exercise had given her a body of whipcord muscle. She'd started wearing her hair in short braids so it didn't get tangled, and had strapped the kunai knives to her waist. This trip was different, though. The wildcat, whom Misa had nicknamed Sasa in her head, was letting her take the lead. Misa stopped on a particularly wide branch and listened. She tuned out the natural birdsong, leaves rustling, and splashing of a nearby stream, and focused on the sounds that didn't belong. There! The sound of a wolf calling for backup! That meant it was hurt or stalking massive prey, and either one provided a good chance for food. She cocked her head to get a better idea of the direction and tore off running.

Misa was in luck. The wolf had found a group of rabbits, her favorite prey. She could see him below, stalking them from the left. Quickly, she circled the clearing and approached from the right. That way, once the wolf scared them into flying in the opposite direction, she'd be waiting for them.

Sasa watched her from the shadows. She instinctually noted how Misa placed herself downwind from the prey, stalked silently, and waited in perfect position. When the wolf's scent alerted the prey, they ran right into her arms. A slash of kunai, and three of them were dead. That settled it for Sasa. The kit wasn't to be coddled anymore. Now it was a threat, and if she saw the little one again, it would be time to extend the claws.

Misa somehow understood this too. Sasa had taught her much, helped her grow into someone cunning, fast, strong, and so sneaky she doubted even her father could have found her. She could think about him now without crying now, although it still hurt to remember that night. She picked up her hairs and headed for the other side of the forest. Misa was five.


	6. New place, new face

The first thing she did was find her own territory. Luckily for her, there weren't that many wildcats in these woods anymore, since human activity had peaked in the last few months. Still, it wasn't easy. Orange flashes growled at her from various branches, but the red cats were worse. To them, orange fur meant a mate, and that was the last thing Misa wanted to be taken for right now. She quickly headed for areas with higher risks and therefore less demand by other territory predators. It would be harder to make her way there, but she wouldn't have to worry about red prowlers getting the wrong idea.

The other side of the forest was deserted in terms of wildcats, although it was a little too close to the gates of the village for comfort. The trees were big enough, though. She pounced around, looking for a suitable place to nest, somewhere high and with good visibility in all directions. Misa also didn't want to be too close to any roads, outposts, or the main gates. She finally found a dip similar to the one she'd shared with Sasa, although this one was considerably smaller and without the carpet of leaves, mosses, and other debris. She didn't mind, though. That was fixable. Besides, there was a water source nearby and plenty of animal tracks. After emptying her pack, she headed out to solve the bedding problem.

Misa had spent over a year in the woods, but it hadn't been enough to learn the difference between a deer trail and a human path. She could spot a road half a mile away, but she'd made her home in a tree with an intersection of these human paths right at the foot of the trunk. And since she was coming from the top and jumping down into the dip, Misa didn't notice the knotholes that had been carved into handholds going up the trunk. The little wild girl had set up residence in a human rest stop.

Which is why, when she came back, there was a girl curled up and sleeping in the middle of the dip.


	7. friend or foe?

She was so shocked she nearly fell off the branch. What on earth was a girl doing here? She managed to gain some composure and started to stalk around the girl. She looked older, but not by much. Misa positioned herself on the edge of the dip, in the girl's line of sight so the minute the girl woke up, she'd see her. Misa had lived in the woods for a while now, but that didn't mean she'd forgotten what other people were like, and she kind of missed having someone besides Sasa around. She sat and waited for the girl to wake up.

After about half an hour of waiting, the girl woke up. She was slow to spot Misa, stretching and yawning before looking around. When she finally noticed the other girl staring at her, she shrieked and backed away, reaching for her pack. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Misa answered "I'm Misa. I live here. What about you?"

The girl looked Misa up and down. What was she? She was covered in fur and crawled on all fours, but she'd braided her hair and was wearing clothes. And were those Kunai around her waist? "My master told me to meet him here. Now what are you?"

"I'm a girl, silly." Misa flicked one of her braids over her shoulder. "What's in the bag?"

The other girl clutched it tighter to her chest. "Nothing. Why do you live here?" Anything to get her attention off the bag.

Misa leapt and landed right in front of the girl. "Because it's safe and I couldn't stay with Sasa forever. It's a pretty good nest. Isn't that why you curled up in it?"

Sasa? Nest? What was this girl babbling about? And why on earth did she look like that? "Who's Sasa? Your mom?"

The furry girl shook her head no. What had she said her name was, Misa? Tsukushi didn't remember that name from anywhere, certainly not the village Bingo Book. Never mind that, she was talking again. "Sasa was my cat mama. She taught me how to hunt and live in the woods, but I had to leave. That's why I live here now." She jumped away from Tsukushi and onto one of the thicker branches. She turned around and looked at the girl again. "It doesn't look like you master's coming today. Do you want to go hunting instead?"

Tsukushi slowly approached Misa. She was beginning to think this girl wasn't that dangerous. She'd keep observing her and leave if she showed any signs of aggression. "Okay, but how do you hunt?"

Misa untied one of the kunai from around her waist and held it up. "With this. It's not as good as claws, but it's pretty good. Let's go." She started jumping through the forest like a cat. Tsukushi followed.

She was surprised. The girl may be little but she was as fast as a Chuunin , maybe even a jounin. And she made barely any sound! Tsukushi was a clumsy oaf by comparison, and she'd been at the top of her class in stealth.

Misa suddenly stopped. She cocked her head to one side, then the other. She took off to the right. By the time Tsukushi caught up with her, the prey was in site. It was a deer tangled in a thicket. But how had the girl found it? She was crouching down now, with the kunai in her teeth. She jumped out of the tree and onto the deer's back, using her legs to hold on as she switched the blade from her mouth to her right hand. Then she plunged it into the deer's head, through the skull and directly into the brain.

Misa put the deer across her small shoulders and leapt straight up into the tree where Tsukushi was. The older girl had to suppress the urge to run. This five year old girl was a top notch predator. If Misa wanted to kill her, she'd never see it coming. No, the best thing to do right now would be to make nice and get out as soon as her master showed up. Tsukushi forced a smile and said "Good job. Let's get it back to the, uh, nest. I can't wait to taste it once it's cooked. Misa smiled, and Tsukushi began to think that, while the girl might look dangerous, maybe she wasn't. There wasn't any harm in finding out.


	8. A lesson in skinning

Misa slowed her pace a little as they went back to the dip so the other girl could keep up. She didn't look like she wanted to talk, but there were so many questions in Misa's head that she let one slip. "What's your name?"

Tsukushi realized that she hadn't told her. She wondered if she should use an alias, but the girl didn't seem devious. "It's Tsukushi." She tried to jump ahead and leave Misa behind. She needed to think about what to do next. Cooking the meat was all well and good, but she would need something else to occupy the girl after that. She might seem sweet now, but who knows who she would do if she lost interest. Despite her attempts to get ahead, Misa had easily kept pace with the older girl. Tsukushi cast around for something to occupy her. "Do you know if there are any good mint patches around here? They make a great seasoning."

Misa nodded. "Do you want me to go get some after we drop off the deer?"

Tsukushi considered the idea. If she let the girl go off on her own, she would have time to make a back-up plan in case Misa turned on her. But if she did go, Tsukushi would never know what direction she would come from next. She decided the risk was too great, even if she seemed innocent right now. "I think we should go together. You wouldn't want to miss helping me cure the meat, would you?" The girl shook her head rapidly.

When they made it back to the dip, the first thing Tsukushi did was clear a place of debri and set down the deer. She sat close to the flank, with Misa sitting so close their shoulders brushed. Tsukushi was surprised by how soft the girl's fur was. She'd expected it to be matted or caked with dirt. She turned her attention back to the deer. "First, we tie it up." She look around for a suitable branch. There was a fairly sturdy one overhead. She brought her twine out of her pack and handed it to Misa."Can you tie the legs to that branch?" She pointed to the one overhead.

"Sure!" The girl quickly tied the back legs together, took the rope in her mouth, and scrambled up to the branch Tsukushi had pointed at. She began to extend the rope. "Where do you want it tied?"

Tsukushi answered. "Keep lowering it and I'll tell you when to stop." Misa lowered it so that the head was hanging about five inches off the ground when Tsukushi yelled "That's good. Now tie it off and bring the rest of it down." The girl tied it to the branch, bit right through the tough cord, and jumped back down into the dip. Tsukushi pointed at her waist. "You'll need one of your Kunai for the next part." The girl unhooked one of them from its loop and gripped it in a fist.

Tsukushi sighed. "That's not how you hold them." She took the weapon out of the girl's fist and repositioned it. "This hold allows for better control, although the way you were holding it works best for when you need a lot of force, like when you crushed its head." She pointed at the wound. "Now we're going to make some little cuts by the knees." Tsukushi reached up and made a shallow cut in the knee of each hind leg.

Then she turned to the littler girl, who had crept up behind her. Tsukushi didn't react, though. She was getting more used to the girl's lack of personal space. "Now you cut the front legs, but not too deep. You only want to cut the skin." The little girl reached out and barely slit the knee. The cut didn't get all the way through, but it was a start.

They skinned the whole deer that way, Tsukushi guiding Misa's hands, slicing off the meat, removing the inedible organs, and cutting the meat into more manageable pieces. While they were fixing the deer, Tsukushi watched the girl carefully. Aside from her predatory skills and appearance, she seemed like an ordinary girl of five. She wasn't bothered by the sight of bone and blood vessels, but she stroked the furry side of the skin, enjoying the feel.

Watching her gave Tsukushi an idea. "You know, your clothes are in terrible shape." The girl stopped stroking the deerskin and looked down at herself. It was true. Her pants were destroyed around the knees and cuffs, and her shirt wasn't much better off, and both were a dull grey from having all the color bleached out of them by the sun and numerous washings. "Why don't I make you some new ones out of that?" She pointed at the pelt.

The girl's eyes lit up. Tsukushi had suggested it, thinking it would keep making the girl depend on her for a while, but seeing that smile made her doubt her reasons. These thoughts kept spinning in her head as they pounced through the forest in search of spices.


	9. The first goodbye

Tsukushi wasn't a fast seamstress. It took her three weeks, two deerskins, and at least five rabbit pelts to make some clothes for Misa. Those weeks did more for Tsukushi than provide sewing time. They let her grow. At first, she'd always been looking over her shoulder, her fearful, closed heart pounding every time the younger girl left her sight. After about three days without incident, she stopped searching for an escape route and saw what was right in front of her.

She saw the eyes that widened whenever Tsukushi was doing something new, like curing meat or hemming a sleeve. She smelled the flowers that somehow found their way into the nest, most likely in the grip of a tough little hand. She felt the soft fur whenever she woke up to find that Misa had come to sleep beside her during the night. Then, when her teacher came one day while Misa was gone to tell her the mission was halfway complete, a pain blossomed in her heart whenever she thought about having to leave the little girl alone again. There was no one like Misa back at the village; everyone was so conniving and self-centered. How could she leave this pure-hearted, innocent little sister and go back to a world where everyone was out for themselves?

The worst thing was, she was going to break that little heart soon. The master was almost finished, and would be coming to get her within the week. Tsukushi would have to tell her sometime, but not now. She was just enjoying her new clothes, and Tsukushi wasn't going to spoil her fun.

Later that night, Misa curled up next to her and whispered. "What's wrong? You've been sad all day. Did I do something wrong?"

Tsukushi looked at the little face, full of concern. She answered "No. It's just that… I won't be around for much longer." Misa sat up and stared at her.

"You're leaving? You can't! You have to stay!"

"I can't stay. I only came here in the first place because my master had to do some spying in Konoha. He told me to wait here for him, to send a message if he was captured or take over the mission if he got hurt. But he's finished it now, which means he'll be expecting me to go back with him."

Misa buried her face in the other girl's chest. "NO! I love you, you have to stay."

"I can't. I want to, but I can't." She reached out a hand to stroke Misa's head. "Try to understand."

She jerked away when Tsukushi touched her. "I don't want to understand!" She turned and jumped. By the time Tsukushi made it to the edge of the dip, she had sprinted out of site. Maybe it was better this way. If Misa didn't come back before the master came to get her, she wouldn't have to say goodbye again. Tsukushi started packing up her things, which was hard since she couldn't see very well.


	10. A legend is born

Satetsu was pleased as he leapt through the trees away from Konoha Village. His espionage mission had been successful. Konoha wasn't going to be a problem any time soon, not with the damage they'd sustained from that attack over a year ago. They were still having trouble recovering. He hadn't been able to sight the new Jinchuriki, but he'd heard about the boy and was convinced he wasn't much of a threat either. He was a little worried about Tsukushi. How had she fared, these past few weeks?

He was jercked off his train of thought by the sound of sobbing. Satetsu might have been a Chuunin, and a tough one at that, but it didn't mean he was impervious to attacks of the heart. Those sobs tugged his heartstrings, and he followed the pull until he came upon a little girl. She was quite an unusual child, but that wasn't the first thing he noticed about her. It was her clothes. When Tsukushi had made doll clothes for donations to the village orphanage, they had often been the same simple style that the girl was wearing.

Now Satetsu had a good idea of what was going on. Tsukushi had gotten lonely, and taken the little girl in. She'd probably told this girl that she would have to be leaving soon, and that was why she was so upset. He decided to lend both of them a hand.

He jumped out of the tree and landed right in front of the girl. "Excuse me, but do you know where I might find my team member?" The little girl lowered her hands away from her face. "Her name is Tsukushi. I have to find her so she can come back with me to see her family."

The girl was starting to wipe her eyes. "Family?"

He smiled. "Yes. Tsukushi has lots of little brothers and sisters who are waiting for her to come back, especially the children who don't have moms and dads. She loves them all so much, so she has to hurry home. Can you help show me where she is?"

Misa was starting to feel better. She'd been afraid that she'd done something wrong. She was scared that she'd made Tsukushi mad, and that was her reason for leaving. But if she had to leave, if she had people waiting for her, then of course she had to go. She had to leave for the same reasons Misa had to stay, for someone they loved. She smiled at the man and said, "I'll show you where she is." Then she bounded up and off into the forest.

When they reached the dip, Tsukushi was packed and waiting. As soon as Misa leapt into the dip, she bulldozed into Misa and hugged her tight. "Go back quick. Your little brothers and sister miss you, just like I will." She looked up into the other girl's red rimmed eyes. "I'm glad I got to meet you. I hope I get to see you again soon." Then she reached into the big pocket on the front of her new shirt. "I was saving this to give to you as a thank you present." She held out a bracelet. It was woven out of strips of bark, with colorful feathers and flower petals. "I tried to make it pretty."

Tsukushi hugged the little girl even tighter, and whispered a thank you in her ear. "I'll never forget you, Misa. I hope I do see you again, and when I do, I'll bring all my little sisters with me." Satetsu took her arm and led her off the dip and into the forest.

Misa watched them leave. She'd done her crying for that day, and she wasn't going to start doing it again. But something the man had said was spinning in her head. He'd talked about a place for kids without parents. Maybe she could help. If she found kids in the woods who were all alone, like she'd been, she could help them get to these places. That way, she'd be helping possible little brothers and sisters the same way that Tsukushi helped hers, and the way the people in the village were helping Naruto. She decided to keep her eyes open during her hunts. With that thought, she took a final trip down the trunk to get some water, climbed back up, and fell asleep.

In another part of the woods, Tsukushi and Satetsu were also settling in for the night. Their meal of rations hadn't tasted nearly as good as Misa's food to Tsukushi. She'd been strangely quiet for most of that day, but Satetsu understood. Saying goodbye like that couldn't have been easy for her. But he felt that now was a good time to break the silence. Plus, he was curious about the girl he'd met, who Tsukushi apparently had spent the weeks with while he was gone. "That was a strange girl. She was almost an animal, but not quite."

Tsukushi answered him quietly. "You're right. She's the Human Animal." And so the legend began.


	11. You call that gratitude?

Shikaku and Yoshino were getting frantic. They'd let Shikamaru go out into the woods to play with some of the older kids. The other kids had come back, without their little boy. Now they were looking everywhere, caling out his name, when Yoshino caught a snatch of song.

"Little boy in the wood,

crying won't do much good.

Follow this, follow me

if at home you want to be."

It was a little girl. The voice was moving toward them, slowly. Yoshino shouted to her husband. "Let's look in this direction." She ran off in the direction of the song, just as it started a new verse.

"Good little boy, you're almost there.

You're family's searching everywhere.

Your mother's looking, father too.

A few more steps and they'll find you."

They brushed past some bushes, and there was Shikamaru, standing and looking up into the trees. Yoshino ran to make sure he was okay, but Shikaku was looking at the clump of branches his son was staring at. There was a little girl's face peeking out. It disappeared the moment she saw him staring, but he was sure he'd seen her. Shikaku went over to his wife and son. "We need to get back to the village. We're not alone here."

After making sure the two were safe at home, Shikaku headed to the office of the Third Hokage. He was worried. That girl might have helped him get Shikamaru back, but that didn't change the fact that there was someone unknown running around in the forest. You could never be too careful about these things. He went in to the Third Hokage's office.

The man was sitting behind a desk stacked with papers, mostly mission requests. He looked up when he heard the door open. "Something wrong, Shikaku?"

He bowed respectfully and said "Yes. Shikamaru went missing in the woods today. Don't worry we got him back, but only with help." He walked closer and put his hands on the desk. "There was a girl in those woods. Her singing helped to guide me and Toshino towards Shikamaru. But she disappeared the moment we found him."

The Hokage propped up his chin with his hands. "Was there anything distinctive about this girl? Maybe a headband?"

Shikaku shook his head. "She had a very pretty singing voice, but…" He looked up as he strained to remember. There had been something odd about her. What was it? He snapped his head forward as he suddenly remembered. "She was orange. I don't know how, but she was definitely orange. I don't think she's dangerous, but I thought you should know all the same."

The Third Hokage was visibly troubled by this. "Thank you, Shikaku. This could have been a problem. Now can you tell me where you were when you saw the girl?"

"Yes." Shikaku spent the next thirty minutes telling the story of what had happened. He included everything, even the words to the song. When he described the little face, the hokage's hands tightened underneath his chin.

When Shikaku had told the part about taking his son back to their house, the hokage stopped him. "Thank you for the report. I have to talk with the others now about how to best resolve the issue." The younger man bowed his head and exited the room.

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. He couldn't believe the girl was still around. Then again, she came from a tough family. He should have expected this. Since he hadn't he wasn't prepared for the situation, so he decided to convene a council to discuss the matter.

When Danzo, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane showed up, they found a very perturbed Hiruzen. Homura was the first to speak. "For what purpose have you summoned us, my lord?"

"Because something we did over a year ago has come back to haunt us." He looked up at his three advisers. "The girl Misa is alive and well. Her orange face was spotted in the forest." Homura and Koharu gasped.

Danzo said "Then we made a mistake in letting her live. I suggest dispatching a team of hunters to take her out before she does any more damage."

Hiruzen was not going to let that happen. "What damage? She has done nothing to the village besides save one of its children. It's possible she has done things for us that we might not even know about. I find no reason to kill her." Danzo was about to insist that she be killed when the Hokage cut him off. "However, we cannot have her coming into contact with Naruto. You may dispatch a team of hunters to drive her out of the forest." He glared at the other man. "I will send one of mine along with the team to make sure they follow orders. They will give her a fighting chance. If not, I will have words for you." He dismissed the council.

That night, four ANBU ninja from the stealth division were given the mission of finding the girl in the woods, and taking her five miles beyond the forest limits. They were given strict orders not to harm her in any way, and not to release her in hostile territory. They completed their mission before daybreak, and had their minds wiped before breakfast.

When Misa woke up, she was in a prairie. A rabbit jumped past her. She reached out and killed it with one blow. She sat up, rabbit in hand, and took a look at her surroundings. There was prairie in all directions, except for a clump of large trees about two hundred yards away. In the other direction, there was a town. But the town wasn't Konoha village, and the clump of trees wasn't nearly as big as the forest she'd lived in for the past year. She didn't know where she was. There was no way she could get back to her brother. She sat down and cried. Misa was six.


	12. The fruit of years

For the next six years, Misa roved the land looking for any sign of Konoha or the forest. She found many forests and many villages, but none of them were the ones she was looking for. This was because the ANBU ninja had tampered with her sense of direction, so that whenever she got too close to the village, she would veer off course so that she missed it by at least a mile. She looked in vain.

But these years weren't totally lost. They gave Misa time to grow. Her short limbs and compact body stretched and lengthened until she was a good five and a half feet tall, with her hair reaching her waist even when it was braided. The abilities she'd had at six years old tripled at least. She easily outpaced everything from deer to jounin ninja, and made absolutely no sound, even at her top speed. Her absolute fitness increased the potency of her chakra as well. The natural healing abilities of those from the Uzumaki clan were multiplied tenfold in her. When she took on an entire pack of wolves trying to guard a deer she'd taken down, even gashes three inches deep healed within the hour.

As her body matured and grew, her muscles grew with it. She couldn't lift boulders or break an arm with a single finger, nothing so flashy. The skills she developed were those that she needed to survive. She could throw a kunai through the trunk of a five hundred year old tree and still have enough force to crush the skull of the squirrel on the other side. Her practical, wandering life gave her another kind of strength as well. Because she was constantly on the move, she developed enough endurance to run for almost three weeks straight, only stopping for a brief rest every day for sleep and a quick meal. But her muscles weren't the only thing that grew.

Her experience with Shikamaru had been her first attempt at saving someone. Because of what resulted from it, she was hesitant to try again, but she told herself that, as long as she wasn't seen, there wouldn't be any risk of that happening again. Besides, it wasn't like she was bound to any of the places she went. Really, she was just someone passing through. So, she led the children home using song, or brief glimpses of her in the trees, and disappeared as soon as the child was out of danger. She thought this was keeping her from being discovered. She was wrong.

Kids love to boast. Stories about her penetrated households, playgroups, and eventually classes and adult conversation. The nickname Tsukushi had given her in the stories she told to her friends at the orphanage spread as people began to realize that the same individual was at the root of all the different rumors. As the number of stories grew, all containing the same description of an orange girl dressed in hide, the identity of the Human Animal became more and more credible.

So when Moshiro, injured and lost in the woods surrounding The Village in the Sound, saw a flash of orange and leather in the treetops, he called out. "Please, I need help. I'm not going to hurt you. Please!" Misa looked down and saw the man. His leg was badly broken and he was bleeding from a wound on his shoulder. The scene instantly connected with her heart but this wasn't like helping kids. If she went down there, she'd be exposing herself to discovery again, likely with the same results. He called out again. "You're the one who saved Tanka, right?" She started. She'd saved that kid when she'd come through here three months ago. But how did he know it was her? "We all know the story. If you're the same person, please come down. I won't hurt you."

She looked down at him again, and noticed how pale he was. He'd lost a lot of blood. She threw the risk out the window and shimmied down the trunk. She walked through the brush without making any noise until she was right behind him. Then Misa clamped her hand over the man's mouth. "Don't speak. I'm right behind you. Don't try to look at me. Take your shirt off so I can see the wound better. Then I'll come forward to look."

She removed her hand and backed up. He stripped off the protective vest quickly, then removed his shirt, whimpering. That wasn't a good sign, it meant there was way too much blood on his shirt and it was sticking to him. She knew how that felt from experience. Before she'd discovered how quickly she healed, she'd cleaned and dressed any wounds she got. She still did it for the deeper ones. There, he'd gotten undressed, but wasn't trying to look at her. That was good. It meant he trusted her. She stepped around the man and crouched down in front of him.

Moshiro couldn't believe it. The stories really were true! He shivered with excitement as she leaned in close, looking at the wound. "We're gonna need to wash that. There's a stream nearby. Can you move?" He shook his head, eyes still staring. "Then I'll go get some. Don't move." As she retreated, he stared at her. From the way the stories described her, he'd expected someone older and more beastlike. She was, there was no other word for it, cute.

The orange wasn't tough skin or clothes, it was fur. She acted like a normal girl, just a lot better at surprising someone. And those clothes were adorable. She had been wearing a bust wrap and knee–length shorts with lots of pockets. Both were made out of deerskin, along with her calf-high boots. She came back with a full water skin and poured the contents over his shoulder wound. Then she looked at him. Her eyes were storm grey, with long lashes. A strand of brilliantly red hair fell across her face. Forget cute. She was gorgeous. "I'm going to have to scrub a little. It's going to hurt."

She was right. It also took a while, but he tried to ignore the pain by making conversation. "I'm Moshiro. What's your name, besides Human Animal, I mean?"

She eyes snapped back to his, wide with surprise. "What?" She was so cute, he had to laugh. But that started making him cough. She put her hand on his chest. "Stop, you'll open the wound. My name's Misa. But where'd you get 'Human Animal' from?"

He leaned his head back as she started gently scrubbing again. "From the stories. Everyone's talking about you, like the time you saved Tanka, or led Shoga away from where that bear was sleeping. Oh man, this'll make a great one. I actually know your name!"

She stopped scrubbing and gripped him by the arms. "What do you mean stories? Who knows about me? How'd they find out?" She got so close he could feel her breath. "You better not tell anyone about me."

"It's too late for that. You're the talk of the town. Everyone knows about you, the strange orange savior in the woods. The kids you saved started them, but then other ninja coming home from other villages also had stories about you. You're pretty well known for someone who hides all the time. One more story isn't going to change anything."

She backed away a little, looking more than a little confused. "You mean, you all knew about me and you haven't driven me away? You're not scared of me?"

"Far from it. Everyone wants to meet you, to thank you." He sat up. "Look, why don't you come back with me? You could say hi to Tanka, sleep in a real bed, meet the villagers… who knows, you might even learn a thing or two."

She just finished scrubbing and said "We need to move you to a safer place. There's a tree not far from here with a hollow big enough to offer shelter. Come on." She lifted him onto his good leg, with his arm over her shoulder. It was muscled, but still slim and girlish.

"Can't I just go home from here?"

"No. You've lost too much blood to be traveling. Besides, I need to tend to your leg. Although I don't really know how."

He sighed. "It's a good thing I'm a medic ninja then. I can tell you what to do. But right now, that hollow and some rest sounds really good." They headed off together into the woods. It was the first time Misa had really talked to another person in seven years.


	13. Music and conversation

**Thanks for waiting! I was camping with no net access, but it gave me plenty of time to write. Please Comment!**

The hollow was at the base of the tree, more like a gap in the roots. After Misa set him down in the entrance, Moshiro took a good look around. There were signs of human use everywhere. The floor was clean, with a pile of debris in one corner. He guessed that was her bed. A dirty, patched backpack was sitting in a corner beside a tall walking stick that looked like it could be a fishing pole too. There was a ring of stones outside that looked like a fire pit. A small rabbit pelt was pegged to the side of one of the entrance roots, drying out so she could use it as another patch on the backpack, which she was presently rummaging through.

When she turned back towards him, she had something white and glistening in her hand. She came towards him and began to drape the stuff around him. "What is that?" He asked. "It feels good."

She talked as she worked. "It's spider web. I collect and keep it for bedding and storing stuff, but it works this way too." She kept wrapping until there were about three layers over his shoulder wound. "Now help me with your leg. You'll have to tell me what to do."

He'd been dreading this. "You'll want to give me something to bite down on. The first part is pretty painful." She went outside and brought back a twig. He took it in his good hand and then laid down. He continued. "First, you've got to pull the leg so the parts of broken bone line up with each other. After that, you make a splint by tying four straight sticks around the broken spot and binding them to the leg. That should be good enough to get me home." He bit down hard on the stick and talked through the corner of his mouth. "I'm ready."

Misa took his foot in her hands and pulled. He screamed around the twig, but the worst of the pain was over in about ten seconds. Then the Human Animal-no, Misa- was running around outside the hollow, looking for straight sticks. She came back with six, bound them to his leg using the rabbit skin she'd been curing and more of that spider web. She put the fur side in, which felt wonderful on his irritated skin. As she started going out again, he asked "Where are you going?"

She turned to look back at him, and replied, "I'm going to get dinner. You need to eat to regain your strength and get back some of the blood you lost. A good meal and a night's rest should have you back on your way to the village." With that, she jumped straight up into the trees and leaped away.

Moshiro sat up and felt his leg. The set, splint, and bandaging were pretty good for a first try. He'd been treated by the Human Animal! This was going to make one heck of a story for the other guys. But he should look around more, get more details. The walking stick and bed looked innocent enough, but that pack was begging to be investigated. At first, he didn't find anything interesting, just things like a wooden needle, dried meats, and a few different herbs and leaves. But them he felt something papery in his hand, and pulled it out.

It was birch bark covered in berry stains. He looked closer, and words came into focus. They were written like a poem, or maybe song lyrics.

All night and day I search and look

For that one place from which they took

Me in the night, to separate

Me from my brother. Them I hate.

For those blue eyes and that blonde hair

For that I travel everywhere

In search of Naruto, so sweet.

I hope my brother I will meet.

There was more, but Moshiro didn't get the chance to finish it, because Misa snatched it out of his hands. She glowered at him. "Why were you going through my things?" He tried to come up with a believable lie. She raised her voice to a shout. "Answer me!"

"Okay." He put his hands up. "I saw a rat crawling into you pack, and I thought I"

"You're lying!" She hit him across the face. "I would have heard a rat in here. Now tell me the truth! What were you doing?!"

Moshino hung his head. "I'm sorry. I got so wrapped up in how good the story would sound to all my friends that I wanted to know more. More about you. So I started looking around." He pointed at the birch bark in her hand. "That's very beautiful. Did you write that?"

She relaxed a little. He was telling the truth now, she could see it in the tilt of his head, hear it in his heartbeat. It was relaxed now, not so fast-paced. She decided to tell him about the song. "Yes, I did, and every word's true. I was thrown out of my village after my brother was born and my parents died protecting him."

"Is he the one in the song?" She nodded.

"I should start getting dinner ready." She turned away quickly.

Before she turned her back to him, he saw the wetness beginning to pool in her eyes. Him and his stupid need to impress people! He shouldn't have made her remember something so terrible. He had to think of something to make her feel better. Then he remembered one of the items in his pack. He crawled over to it, wincing as he did. That leg just wouldn't leave him alone. When he reached it, he pulled out his flute and started playing.

She stopped mashing the acorns and looked at him. "What's that?"

"A flute. It makes music." She was adorable when she was curious. "What would you like me to play?"

She blushed, although Moshiro couldn't see it through the fur. "I don't know any songs."

"Really? Then allow me to teach you some. I know plenty. Everyone at the Sound Village knows at least a few." He started with "The Wanderer", and she joined in on the refrains and eventually learned the whole song. Once she was singing it on her own, he joined in with the flute music. She had a beautiful voice that blended well with the flute. They sang all through dinner and way past midnight.


	14. She takes the bait!

Misa woke up on the floor of the hollow. Moshiro was still asleep in her bed. She went over to check on him. The leg looked better, but blood was showing on the bandage. She sang in his ear to wake him up. "Rise and shine, and give all you glory, glory."

He woke up at the beginning of the second glory. "What?"

She pointed at his shoulder. "We need to bandage that again. It bled through during the night. Besides, I didn't want you waking up alone while I was getting breakfast." She pulled another roll of spider web from her pack and began gingerly removing the bandage.

It hurt, but not as much as taking the shirt off yesterday had. The would looked much better underneath too. You could clearly see the slash, and the skin surrounding it looked fairly healthy. Misa started wrapping around the fresh bandage. "Do you think you'll be alright?"

He nodded. "The skin around the cut looks healthy, and there's so sign of an infection. I should be alright. Do we need to check my leg too?"

"No. There's no blood or pus on that bandage. Do you think you can manage not to go through my things again while I'm gone?"

He said yes, and she pounced off into the woods. He still couldn't belive that she could jump straight up like that.

Once outside the hollow, she tuned out the natural sights and sounds so she could tune into anything unexpected. Bears were bellowing over by the river. That's right! The salmon were running this time of year, and the bears were gathering. She could get some good fish, and if she was lucky, bear meat. Bears never gathered in numbers like this without there being casualties. Both were hearty dishes, which would be good for Moshiro. She headed for the river.

The bears hadn't gotten into any fights yet, but there was plenty of fish in the river. Misa didn't need a pole or net for this sort of thing. She just stood by a particularly fast patch of rapids, and when the salmon tried to jump it, she caught them with one hand and speared the fish through the eye with a Kunai.

She went back to the hollow with a catch of ten, and found Moshiro sitting right where she'd left him. Obviously, he had learned his lesson. She skinned and fileted the fish, then spread out seven of them for drying and cut the remaining three into long strips. "I hope you like your fish raw." She said, turning with a leaf full of salmon bits wrapped in different greens. Even the Human Animal liked to do things prettily every once in a while.

They sat and ate together. Moshiro watched her intently. She didn't have any real manners, but she didn't wolf down the food or act unpleasantly during the meal. She would have disgraced herself on a date, but she could have managed a family meal just fine.

Misa waited for him to finish the food, then asked the question that had been burning in her. "Do you remember that thing you were playing last night?"

"You mean my flute?" He reached behind him and picked it up. "It's not a very pretty instrument, but it sounds alright. Would you like to hear something from last night?"

Misa shook her head. "Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me where I could get one. It's very pretty."

"I made it. It takes a while." Her face fell. "But…" She looked back up. "If you came with me when we went back to the village, I could buy you one. The store-made ones are much better quality, and it's the least I can do after you saved me yesterday."

"Then you think you're strong enough to get going?"

"That depends. How far are we from the village?"

She thought for a second, calculating the distance. "It's about two times farther than the distance we walked yesterday." She looked at him, her brows drawn together with worry. "Do you really think I should go with you?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Everyone's going to want to meet you. You could stay with my family, there's more than enough room. My family's pretty well-off so it's not like you'd be a burden." He could see her leaning towards the idea, smelling it, tasting the prospect. She just needed one more push. "There are some things about music that only we know. Maybe if you stayed long enough, we could teach them to you."

That did it. When Moshiro got ready to go back to the village, he wasn't the only one packing. With one of his arms over her shoulder and her walking stick for a crutch, the two of them made their way into the Village of the Sound.


	15. Entry

When they reached the front gates, Misa jerked back, letting go of Moshiro's arm. "Are you sure about this?" She was scared. She hadn't been in a real town since she was four. What if she acted weird or they thought she was dangerous?

He took her hand in his good one. "I know you've had bad experiences before. I get it. It's natural to be scared, but you have to remember." He pointed at the main gates and said. "Everyone in that village is waiting for you. So no matter what you do, they'll still be happy to see you."

She was still scared, but she grabbed his arm, slung it back over her shoulder, and walked through the gates. There was a lookout post near the gate, with two men on duty. They saw her. Misa expected fright or hostility. Instead, they gasped in amazement and called out. "Moshiro, is that…"

He smiled and nodded. "Would you tell my family I'm back? I've got to go to the hospital first, but I'll be stopping in later. Tell them to expect a guest."

One of the men bolted from his post, headed in the direction of the residential district. He ran into Moshiro's mother a few blocks away, in the marketplace. "Hello Kurita. Weren't you on guard duty at the front gate?"

"Yes." Said Kurita, panting. "Moshiro's back. He brought someone with him."

Haruhi, Moshiro's mother, asked "Thank goodness. I was beginning to worry. Was he alright? Who was with him?"

"The Human Animal, orange skin and all!" A grin spread across his face as he say the delight and surprise spreading across her face. "She's probably the reason he made it home at all. He said he was going to the hospital, but that he'd drop by later and to expect company."

"In that case, I'd better buy extra! Thank you for coming to tell me. You should probably tell the Mizukage about the Human Animal, he'll probably want to honor her somehow." Kurita agreed, and tore off toward village headquarters.

Meanwhile, Misa and Moshiro made their way towards the hospital. As they went, people stopped to stare. Misa noticed, and got more and more nervous. She gripped his wrist tighter and tighter.

Moshiro flinched. "Are you planning to strangle my hand?" He said, half joking.

She immediately loosened her grip. "I'm sorry. It's just that everyone's staring. Am I really that unusual?"

"Are you kidding? You're orange, dressed entirely in hide, and beautiful, not to mention a hot topic of conversation for almost three years. You're the type of story everyone loves, and now you're here in person! Of course they're staring!"

She giggled a bit at her nervousness. She'd been away from others for so long that it had made her reclusive and shy. Misa hoped that wouldn't last long. She didn't want to cause Moshiro trouble, and it would be good to have friends again.

When they got to the courtyard in front of the hospital, they faced a dilemma. Moshiro had to go in to get his injuries treated more expertly, but he couldn't leave Misa out here all alone. He looked at her, about to ask her what she thought they should do, when a pack of kids ran up the street and crowded around them.

One sharp voice rose above the general clamor. "Brother, you're back!"

Moshiro shouted "Hiro!" And started digging through the crowd of children, eventually coming up with a boy about five years old with black hair. "What have you been getting into, Hiro? You're covered in scrapes."

"I've been defending the village!" The little boy puffed out his chest. He looked so cute, Misa could have hugged him. Then he looked over and pointed at Misa. "Is she the Human Animal?"

The clamor immediately died down as the kids waited for the reply. Moshiro paused for dramatic effect, then whispered "Yes."

The courtyard exploded. All the kids started talking at once, bombarding Misa with questions."

"Where are you staying?"

"Why's your fur orange?"

"Did you really fight a bear?"

"Can you come to my house?"

They started climbing on Misa, grabbing her hands, legs, shorts, and anything else they could get their little hands on. One even made his way onto her back, with his arms around her neck. Misa shouted to Moshiro, laughing hard. "Moshiro! Get them off me!"

Moshiro had on a huge smile. "Sorry Misa, you're on your own this time. Hiro, make sure to take her home with you when you're done playing with her." He headed into the hospital, leaving Misa to the tickle torture and endless questions.


	16. Fit or no?

**This was the first chapter where I got to use one of my passions, writing lyrics to my favorite tunes. I encourage you to try and listen to the song, only with my lyrics instead of the originals. It adds a lot to the fun!**

Moshiro didn't like leaving Misa like that, but it couldn't be helped. Misa had done a fantastic job on his leg for a first timer, but he needed real help. Besides, Hiro would take good care of her. Inside, he was met by one of the genin medical ninjas with a wheelchair. He gratefully got in, and asked to be wheeled to the Immediate Treatment Center. This was where you went if you needed treatment fast and you didn't have an appointment. Experts were on call at all hours here, and were prepared for anything from a broken bone to genjutsu.

He was taken to a secretary, who asked what he wanted treatment for. "A broken leg and shoulder wound." He answered. The secretary directed him to the appropriate wing of the building, where a few chuunin medical ninja undid the makeshift bandages and prepared to go to work.

The one unrolling the bandage held it up to the light, then asked Moshiro, "Where did you get this? It's very fine but strong, stronger than the standard. And it's very light and clingy."

Moshiro answered, "It's spider web. Cool, huh?" The medic ninja filed away the fact, determined to discuss it with his superiors as a possible bandage option for field medics. They finished dressing the wound without further conversation, then took him out of the operating room and back to the genin who'd looked after him when he first arrived.

Moshiro's mother, Haruhi, was waiting for him in the pick-up area. She gave him a gentle hug, then asked, "How are you?"

He did his best to smile and said, "I'm fine, thanks to Misa. How is she?"

" You mean the girl Hiro brought home about an hour ago? She's fine, just a little nervous. Is she really who Kurita said? I sshe the one who saved Shoga?"

"Yes." He shifted a little in his wheelchair. "Do you think we could get going?"

"Sure, as soon as you get some crutches." They stopped by the gift shop to get them. This gift shop was a little unusual, because it didn't supply get-well-soon balloons or stuffed animals. It sold things like field bandages, remedies, and premade crutches and splints. It had been added to the hospital for the purpose of resupplying Ninja who had brought their injured comrades in for treatment and needed to replenish their field kits. Moshiro hobbled home with his mother supporting one arm.

When they got there, they found Misa playing a game of Hide-and-seek with Hiro. It wasn't a very even match, though. Misa would find Hiro very quickly, while it took Hiro at least three times as long to find Misa, because she was never where'd you expect. She hid on top of the roof, in the cherry tree, even underneath the deck. It was fun to watch, though.

Moshiro interrupted their game by limping through the front gate. "Misa, you can get out of the tree now. I want to introduce you to my mother."

She jumped down, landing without a sound behind Hiro, grabbed him from behind, put the screaming, laughing boy over her shoulder, and walked over to the Moshiro and his mother. "I'm Misa, but Moshiro tells me I'm better known as the Human Animal. What's your name?"

Haruhi was more than a little surprised. Like Moshiro, she'd expected someone older, at least twenty, and orange skin or clothing. She hadn't expected a cute little girl of twelve covered in orange fur playing with her son like she'd known him all her life. "I'm H-Haruhi." She reached out her hand for Hiro. Misa put him down, and he ran to hug his mother. "Please come in."

Harumi and Moshiro went into the house, Misa following. She walked through the entrance hall and peeked into the kitchen where Haruhi had begun fixing dinner. "Excuse me, but where's Moshiro?"

Haruhi looked up from her chopping. "He's upstairs. But you should probably take your shoes off before going up." She giggled a little.

Misa blushed and took off her boots. "Where should I put them?"

"By the front entrance. I'll call the two of you when dinner's ready."

Misa went back to the front entrance and looked around. She saw Moshiro's sandals and put her boots next to them. Then she headed down the hall again, looking for an upstairs. It took a while for her to find. It was at the very end of the hall. She took them six at a time and reached the top only to find another long hallway ahead. Where was he in this huge place?

Then she heard something. It had the same sort of sound as the flute Moshiro liked to play, but it was different too. This had more twang in the sound, and was more like a bunch of-what had he called them?-notes were put together instead of one at a time the way the flute played them. She followed the sound and found Moshiro, sitting on what she thought she remembered was a bed, strumming something. There were papers laid out all over in front of him. She waited for him to pause in his strumming and asked, "What is that?" She pointed at the thing in his arms.

He grinned. "This is a guitar. A friend of mine brought it back from a foreign reconnaissance mission. He taught me how to play. Come here." He started strumming again and began to sing.

(To the tune of Little Bit of Devil in her Angel Eyes)

Little angel cloaked in fire

She's every ninja's saving grace.

You'll try to own her to your ire.

She never stays in the same one place.

There's a little bit of looking in that wanderlust.

She should write it on her backpack, Konoha or Bust.

Going back to see her brother is a must.

There's a little bit of looking in that wanderlust.

There's a little bit of looking in that wanderlust."

He looked up from his sheet music and asked. "Do you like it? I just wrote it down, but I've been writing it in my head since I read your lyrics." He was getting nervous. She wasn't saying anything. Had he made a mistake in mentioning her brother?

She opened her mouth. He prepared for the worst. "Sorry, but I didn't understand half of that. What's wanderlust? And what's saving grace?"

He laughed inside. He should have expected this. The girl had been living alone for who knows how long; of course she wouldn't know things like slang. He started to explain. "Wanderlust means"

They were interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door. It was Moshiro's mother. "Sorry to interrupt, but your father's home. Why don't you come down and introduce Misa?"


	17. What a JERK!

Moshiro obviously took after his mother. The man was dark haired, tall, and looked like he smelled something nasty. He looked Misa up and down and turned to his son. His expression carried a hint of distaste as he commented, "I didn't think you liked younger girls. Or furry ones." He glanced at Misa again. This time, the sneer crept into his voice. "Where did you find this…thing?"

His words cut to the quick. Misa had felt out of place ever since she got here. Now his words were driving home that truth. She couldn't speak for fear of her voice cracking.

Moshiro stepped in front of Misa. "I met her in the woods. She saved my life. I brought her to the village as a sort of payment for her help. I was hoping she could stay with us."

Now the sneer as fixed on Moshiro. "And why would a son of mine need saving? Don't tell me you ran away?"

"Of course not! I'm no coward."

He only rolled his eyes. Then he turned to his wife. "It is not staying. I won't have that…animal in my house. Let it go back to the woods, where it belongs."

Okay, enough was enough. She might not be like them, but she was no animal. Misa pushed past Moshiro and faced the man's turned back. "I do have a name, you know. It's Misa."

He turned back to her. "I'm sorry. What did it say?"

Now she was mad. "You didn't hear me the first time? Your pride must be clogging your ears." She stepped forward until she was standing on the tips of his toes. Then she drew up to her full height and shouted in his face. "My name is Misa!" She lowered her tone. "I came here because I was invited. If I'm not welcome, I will happily shake the dust of your town off my feet and move on to the next village." She turned back to Moshiro and Haruhi. "Thank you for your kindness. I'll be leaving now." She over the man, landed inside her boots, jumped through the garden and over the gate, and started running.

She didn't stop until she was outside the village. _This is what I get for trusting people. I knew I should have stayed in the woods. Why did I ever let Moshiro talk me into going there?_ She paused, getting her bearings by a pond. _No. This wasn't his fault, it was mine. _She stared at her reflection in the calm water of the pond. _Who'd want me? I mean, look at me. I'm orange! I'm furry! Not to mention I spent the last eight years living like some sort of wild animal._ The smooth surface of the pond was broken by ripples as tears splashed into the water. _I don't belong with them. I don't belong anywhere. _The ripples increased.

She would have happily stayed there for the rest of the night, but she'd left her pack at his house. _I'll just have to go and get it. But not now. I don't want to see any of them again. _She stood up and started wiping off her face with the end of her braid. _I'll sneak in when it gets dark. Then I can leave without having to say goodbye._

She leapt around the edge of the village until she was a good fifty feet from any of the gates. She leapt up over the wall and landed noiselessly on top of a roof. It was a good vantage point for getting her bearings. She spotted the big red cross marking the hospital and headed towards it. Using that as a landmark, she managed to retrace her steps from earlier until she reached Moshiro's house. _ I left the pack in the front entrance. I'll just swing down and get it. _

She jumped from the roof next door into the cherry tree, which she climbed down. She walked through the garden and into the entryway. What she saw made her feel both sad and a little happy. Moshiro had curled up in the front entrance, with her pack as a pillow and his guitar next to him. He'd obviously wanted to see her when she came back for it. _How am I supposed to get it without waking him up? _She didn't have time to think of a solution. A cat yowled at her from underneath the deck, startling Misa and waking Moshiro.

He saw her almost immediately. "Misa!" He whispered. "I hoped you would come back." She got ready to run, but he grabbed her hand. "Don't go yet. I have something I want to give you." He held out his guitar. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier. My dad's not home much, so he didn't know any of the stories about you. That's why he was…well, you know." He put her hand around the strap of the guitar. "Please take it."

She caressed the leather, but shoved it back towards him. "I can't. Besides, I don't know how to play it. It'd be wasted on me."

He put down the guitar and pulled her into a tight hug. "No, it wouldn't. It's wasted on me." He brushed her hair away from her eyes. "You have so many stories, so many songs waiting to be written. And you don't have to worry about not being able to play." He picked something out of her pack. "I wrote this book of instructions for you. Please." He looked into her face, pleading. "Take them."

She grabbed her pack and took the book from him. "Thank you." She said as she slid the book into her pack. "I promise I'll try to learn it." She laughed a little. "I might even write a song about you!"

Moshiro put the guitar in a hard case and handed it to her. "I hope it'll be a nice song. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Your dad may not have liked me, but I know you did. Goodbye." Misa gave him a last hug, then with bag and case in hand, jumped onto the roof and off into the darkness.

He watched her disappear. "I'll never forget you." And he didn't. Not for eight years.


	18. Expansion

What happened with Moshiro's father convinced Misa that showing herself was a bad idea. That didn't mean she stopped helping people. Not by a long shot. Sand, Mist, Sound, Waves… it seemed every village on the continent owed her. Except one. Konoha. Of course, they didn't have any stories of their own. Misa couldn't come within a mile of the forest borders without getting lost. They might have learned stories from other places, except that, as far as paranoia went, Konoha village was by far the worst of the ninja villages. In fact, they were so afraid of attacks that they only associated with the other villages when it was absolutely necessary, and if they did it was only to gain intelligence on them or when an attack was highly unlikely. So while the other villages were swapping tales of the Human Animal, Konoha remained oblivious.

The stories themselves were changing as well. The Human Animal was getting more and more mysterious. Kids were led out of dangerous situations by music people had never heard before. Ninja would be struck from behind and wake up to find their wounds treated and a meal lying within easy reach. Stories that actually described her were getting fewer and fewer. In fact, the only one with a good description was the one from Sound Village. Her brave rescue of Moshiro became the cornerstone of her legend.

It also helped identify which stories were true. Spider web bandaging? Guitar music? It was real. Moshiro's story also helped to start a trend among villages. His gift of the guitar made people think. Had they ever tried to reward her? Were they taking this strange savior for granted? That just didn't seem right.

It became a sort of tradition that, if you or someone dear to you was saved by the elusive girl, you would leave a gift for her outside the village walls. At first, it was just small things, like a charm or a handwritten song. At first people doubted she would receive them. That is, until one of the songs left as a gift was used to lead a child back to the Mist Village. Then they began leaving gifts in earnest. Food, clothing, books, weapons; even instruments tumbled out of the hands of the grateful.

It was about six months after her ordeal in the Sound Village when Misa found the first of these tokens. It was a small bracelet made out of leather with a note attached. The note was written clumsily with ink, and said "I made this for you. Thank you for saving my brother, Miss Human Animal." It didn't take long for the paper to get soaked. Misa had stayed completely alone for those six months, healing people while they were knocked out and strictly using her voice to help kids. No one had seen her, she was sure of that. But they had still remembered her. She slipped the bracelet onto her wrist and rushed home to write a song.

Her work and her music were her two great pleasures. She stopped disappearing when her task was finished. She liked to see the parents' faces, or watch someone wake up after she'd treated their wounds. Misa made sure she stayed undetected, but seeing their faces eased the pain in her heart.

Misa had found out why she could never find Konoha. She didn't know the exact methods, but she knew that whenever she got close to a certain area, she suddenly turned around and started walking in a different direction. When she realized what was happening, she'd started marking to spots where it happened by building a large pile of stones. After about three months, it got to the point that she could walk from pile to pile. When she did that, she went in a giant circle, about the size of the village and its surrounding forest. They'd done something to her to make it impossible for her to get home. This fact had a painful, permanent place in her chest. The only things that lessened the weight were the expressions of those she helped and the songs she wrote.

Music became her confidant, emotional outlet, and oasis. At first she could only sing and attempt at strumming. But as her fingers learned the shape of the strings, it became easier to coax a song from the wooden frame. Each time she was given an instrument, it took time to master, but provided a new kind of pleasure. Lyrics writing became a kind of conversation for her. Whenever she wanted to say something, she'd write it into a song and tuck it into her backpack. There was no way she could ever let the people know, so she stored it in her heart and her voice. When she didn't have paper, she scratched it into the ground or carved it into a tree. The songs in the dirt faded, but sometimes a passerby would see the ones carved into bark and share the lyrics. If it matched the style of the ones she used with the children, It was added to the story. These remnants of her thoughts turned what had been a mysterious helper into a girl everyone could relate to somehow, especially "Who Will Love Me as I am." (I do not own this song.)

"Like a leaf caught in a windstorm, twirled around and blown along.

Always knew that I was different, often fled into a song.

When they stared and then retreated, in my tears I could have swam.

How my foreignness condemns me. Who will love me as I am?"


	19. The best present

One day, when Misa was fifteen, she headed to the village wall of the Sound Village to see if anything was waiting for her. She didn't expect anything. Just seeing the spot with its good memories was enough to make her smile. A kind of shrine had sprung up on the spot, a rough thing made of fallen branches, but someone had tucked flowers into every inch of it and planted them in the surrounding grass. It was one of the prettiest spots in the forest.

Today, there was a little book and a bunch of paper bound together with twine. She scooped them up and pounced home with the two items cradled in her arms. Once she was back in the hollow she liked to use, she opened the book. There was a message written on the inside cover.

Dear Human Animal,

Thank you for saving my little brother when he got lost about a week ago. He never stops talking about you and sings the song you made for him constantly. That song was the inspiration for this gift. I wanted to give you something you would enjoy, but at the same time I wanted to be something only I could give you. Please use this to share the songs you write with the rest of us.

Misa wiped her eyes and flipped the page. It was an instruction manual. The first chapter was about how to prepare parchment a certain way so it was usable for ninjutsu. There was a message written on top of the first heading. "I already prepared some of this paper for you. You should have found it with this book." _That must be the bundle of paper I found. _She read on.

The next chapter showed a picture of a delicate seal, made of two circles, one inside the other. Between the two there was some writing. It said "Hold and fly forever" over and over. The center was a spiral branching off of the smaller circle. The page next to the picture explained. If you prepared the paper as described in the previous chapter and painted this seal on it, the paper became a seal for sound. Kissing the parchment activated the seal. Kiss it, place it in any area, and it would absorb all the sound in that particular area until it was kissed again. Once the sound was recorded, it could be played again and again.

Misa slammed the book shut and started grinning. This would be way better than just writing down the lyrics. She got a stick, leapt to the dirt floor, and started practicing the pattern.


	20. Gaara makes his entrance

A boy walked alone in the desert. He was confused. How could someone who was like him still live for others? And how could he have still been so strong? Did that mean you could feel something for other people and still be strong? He retreated deeper and deeper into the questions.

Kankuro and Tamari watched as Gaara continued walking by himself. That blonde brat had certainly done a number on him, but that was no reason to brood like this. Had the kid said something to him? Tamari looked at her other brother. Kankuro shrugged his shoulders. He didn't expect Gaara to share with him. The guy had never been one to show weakness.

That made his current state even more confusing. His brother, the cool killer, was walking around like he had amnesia or something. The two didn't know what to do with him! So, they left him alone. Hopefully, he would come back to his senses once whatever that other kid had said was forgotten or figured out. So Temari and Kankuro headed in the direction of the village, thinking Gaara would catch up with them sooner or later.

By the time night fell, Temari and Kankuro were out of sight of both the village, and their brother. Gaara hadn't traveled very far. He was still too confused by what the other boy had said. Strength from others? It didn't make sense. He tripped on something, a pile of stones. It jerked him out of his thoughts as he used the sand to regain his balance and looked around. His siblings were nowhere in sight, it was getting dark, and… what was that line by the rising moon? Then he felt it. The wind was brushing his sand skin defense against him. The line, now a wall, was a sandstorm.

A sandstorm was the only thing Gaara was afraid of. The regular sand mixed in with his own, limiting control, and the wind could pick him up, shield and all, and toss him wherever it pleased. _Calm down, _he thought. _You need to find shelter. _He looked back at the pile of rocks. No, too small. But the terrain in this area was hilly. He should be able to take shelter in one of the shallow dips.

There! He jumped for a trench about two feet deep, pulled his scarf over his face, and tried to make a shield over himself out of the sand from his gourd. Then the storm hit.

His shield didn't last three minutes. The regular sand and wind worked together to dilute the potent chakra mixed in and strip away layer after layer of protection. There were thumps in the sand all around him as the stones from the pile he'd tripped over earlier went flying in the wind. Then, BAM! Something hit the back of his head and Gaara lost consciousness.

When he came to, the first thing he did was look down. When he'd fallen into too deep a sleep before, he'd woken up in his sand form. But what he saw now terrified him even more. Because what he saw was nothing. He was blind. He tried to lift himself onto his elbows when something pushed him back down.

A voice said "Stop it. You're hurt. Badly." He stiffened. His heart rate increased, his breath coming in short gasps. He had never been so afraid. He was hurt, blind, with no sand shield, and at the mercy of some unknown person. Then a warm hand pressed against his face. "Relax. I'm here to help. Now open your mouth."

He did, but to speak. "Who are you?"

"Don't talk. Just drink." She brought his head up slowly with one hand and poured something cool into his mouth. Water. He eagerly gulped it down. He tried opening his eyes again, but it didn't make any difference. It was still all black.

Misa watched as the water took effect. The boy began to breathe deeper and relax his tensed muscles. He was lucky. If Misa hadn't found him, he most certainly would have died from that head wound. Right, the head wound. She needed to get that clean and bandaged. But not here. Too great a chance of sand getting in and causing irritation. She ran over the surrounding terrain in her mind. There was a pebbly area not too far from here, and there was a waterhole sometimes. There had been some rain last week. She decided that the waterhole was their best bet. She turned back to the youth. "I need to take you to where there's water so I can take care of your injuries. Can you walk?" He shook his head. "Then I'm going to pick you up."

Gaara felt her arms slid underneath his back and knees. The girl-at least, it had been a girl's voice- picked him up gently and cradled him against her chest. His head rested against her shoulder. Since his sand skin was gone, he could feel the soft fur on his cheek and the motion of muscle rippling underneath. Then there was wind in his face and ears, and the sound of footsteps in the sand. She raced away from the scattered stone pile. Neither one had any idea who the other was.


	21. Coming clean

After what Gaara estimated to be about fifteen minutes the wind stopped blowing and the sounds became softer. She'd stopped running. Then she spoke again. Her voice was soft. "I'm going to put you down on your stomach so I can get a better look at the wound." Misa laid the boy on a flat, smooth rock and headed for the waterhole. Yes! It was full, and clean to boot. She filled her water skin quickly and ran back to where she'd left him. She knelt down next to him. "You're bleeding at the back of your head. I'm going to clean off the blood and bandage it, but it might sting a little." She poured about half the water over the wound, took the end of her braid, and started scrubbing as gently as possible.

As the blood and dirt came away, she saw that the cut was small but deep, and surrounded by a massive bruise. What had happened? She began scrubbing his hair where the blood had matted it, revealing his hair color. It was a very beautiful red, like the color of coals when they're perfect for cooking. His skin was pale by comparison, although that could have been from the blood loss. She got the worst of the dirt out of his hair and started talking again. "I'm going to lift your head so I can wind a bandage around it." She slipped two spider web rolls out of her pack. She folded one into a thick wad and pressed it against the wound. She slipped the end of the other roll between her other hand and the wad so she could use her free hand to wind it around the boy's head. He groaned.

She immediately stopped moving and said "What's wrong?"

His reply was quiet, but not dry and raspy like his first words to her. The water had done its work well. "It's making me dizzy." Misa knew what was coming next. She yanked a spare bust roll out of her pack, unrolled it, and put it under the boy's face just in time to catch the vomit. Once he was done, she bundled up the soiled wrap and tossed it aside. She could clean it later with some sand and water. Right now she had to finish.

"Tell me if you have to vomit again. I have to finish your bandage. After that, I want you to tell me what happened, okay?"

Gaara thought of nodding, remembered what had just happened, and said "Okay".

After Misa finished with the bandaging, she turned Gaara back over and got a good look at his face. He was so handsome! His pale skin and coal-red hair were a great contrast, and his big green eyes set it off perfectly. The simplicity of the face let the colors take center stage, except for the black around his eyes. But that just made you notice them more. If only his hair wasn't so messy, lying all over his face like that. Wait. He was staring right at her and hadn't reacted to her animalistic appearance at all. Could it be that he wasn't surprised by her looks?

"Who are you?" He said. Okay, that settled it. That knock to the head must have addled his brains. And if she was going to help this gem of a boy get his senses back she would need to know everything.

"That's not important right now. You are. I need you to tell me how you got hurt." Gaara didn't know anything about this girl. Was she armed? A threat? Heck, was she even really a girl?

He told her everything, starting with his fight with Naruto.


	22. Gentle reminders

**I tried to keep it K rated. Sorry if it doesn't follow the original exactly, but I can't stop writing long enough to review the original! This is just too much fun!**

Gaara finished telling what had happened to him. Misa was a little happy that the boy couldn't see her right now. She was crying so hard that the fur below her eyes was a different color than the rest of her face. Her little brother had grown up so lonely and she hadn't been able to do a thing about it. She would have hated them, if not for the fact that they had also helped him conquer it and he was now at least a competent ninja and had some good friends to look after him. In the end, the village had done right by him.

Gaara was a more immediate problem. The blindness had most likely been caused by the blow to the back of his head. It was a relief to know that that was the only injury, though. If he'd broken a leg or something it would have been a tough time trying to get him back to his village. The way he was now, it would take a while.

Gaara asked again, "Who are you?" She didn't want to answer that she was "The Human Animal". That seemed deceptive to her, and she wanted to be honest with this boy.

She answered, "Misa." She started to get up from where she'd been sitting next to him. "I'm going to go wash off the shirt you barfed on. I'll be back in a couple of minutes to check on you, and if you feel like it we can have something to eat." She picked up the putrid bundles and headed for the water hole.

Gaara lay on the warm sand, thinking. Why on earth had he told her all that? He never told anyone anything, especially not things that would make him look weak. So why did he trust her, someone he didn't know the first thing about, when he couldn't even trust his own siblings?

Maybe it was because she probably didn't know anything about him. If she had, she would have taken one look at his famous scar and black-rimmed eyes and run in the opposite direction. And of course, there was the small matter of her saving his life. But there was something else, something about her voice. Or was it her warmth? There was just something different about her, something different from everyone else.

He heard footsteps in the sand again. It seemed she was back. "How are you doing, Gaara?" Her voice, it had so many undertones and different sounds mixed in.

He stopped deciphering her voice long enough to answer. "I don't get so dizzy when I try to move."

"Good, because I want to get you in the water hole and washed up. Do you think you can walk a little?" In answer, he propped himself up on one elbow. There was a moment of dizziness, but not bad enough to make him vomit. He slowly sat upright, paused to let his head settle, and tried getting to his feet.

The world spun around him and a strong, slim hand grabbed his upper arm. The hand was warm, he could feel it even through the fabric. Her voice was warm too. "Take it easy. Hold onto me." Her other hand took his and guided it around her waist and put it on her side. She must have been wearing a furry shirt. Then the hand that had been holding his arm slid down onto his waist and she slowly guided him to the right and down a small incline.

Misa had gotten him to the water, but this next part was going to be super embarrassing. Oh, well. Hopefully she could get him in the water fast. "You're going to have to take off your clothes so I can wash you and check for more injuries. If sand gets in any cuts you might have, you could get an infection. I won't look at… well, you know."

It was then that the full implications of what had happened to his eyes hit him. If this went on, he would be at the mercy of others from now on. He would never know when someone was going to betray him or worse, kill him. He didn't even have his sand shield anymore. How was he going to live like this. Gaara slid out of Misa's arms, hunched down, and began to cry. "I can't do this. I can't live like this. I'd rather be dead than blind, then at least I wouldn't be scared."

Misa hunched down next to him. His sudden vulnerability reminded her of how she'd been the first time she'd been rejected, when Tsukushi had told her she was leaving. "It's okay." She rubbed the boy's back, trying to comfort him. "You won't be blind for long." He turned his face towards her, the eyes full of frightened tears. "You're blind right now because you got hit in the back of the head. There's no damage to your eyes, so you should be back to normal once your head heals. I've seen this before. You're going to be fine." She put her hands on his arms and lifted him up until he was standing again. "Now get undressed so we can get you clean."

She would have liked to turn her back, but the poor kid couldn't see laces or buttons or anything. She ended up taking off almost all his clothes, although she left on his trunks. Since her clothes were all made out of hide, she didn't have to worry about getting wet. She put her arm around his waist again, and led him into the water. It was warm, which helped to not freak him out the instant his foot hit it. Once she had him in the water, she took the end of her braid, wetted it thoroughly, and started scrubbing around Gaara's neck and behind his ears. He was still a little wobbly, so she held him close to her body.

Gaara loved it. Her hair was so smooth compared to the course sand he usually covered himself with. It even tickled a little. He was still unsteady, so he leaned against her and let her scrub the sand out of his ears and hair and get the grime off his back. He wondered why he was enjoying this so much.

Once they were done, Misa spread out her bedroll so he could lie down and dry off in the sun while she washed his clothes. Once that was done, she hurriedly dressed him again. The bath had taken longer than she expected. The sky was already getting dark, and her closest home was about a kilometer away. There was no way Gaara would be able to walk that far. _Guess I'll have to carry him again. Maybe I can get him on my back this time so I can get more speed on all fours. _She turned to the youth. "We have to get out of here before nightfall. There's a cave nearby. Do you think you can walk, or should I carry you?"

The shaking hadn't left his legs yet, but he didn't want to rely on Misa-yes, that had been her name-any more than he already had. "I can walk if we take it slowly."

"Well, we can't, so you'll have to get on." She strapped her backpack onto her front and bent down in front of him. Then she remembered his eyes. She looked over her shoulder, grabbed his arms, and placed them around her neck. Once she felt his grip tighten, she slowly straightened and felt for his legs. Once she had a knee in the crook of each arm, she started running.

This was way better than the first time. Now the wind was fully in his face and he could hear more. He could hear her footfalls, but her panting too and even the squeaking of the backpack straps. The sand was releasing all the day's heat into the air, making for a warm wind.

After about half an hour, the temperature suddenly dropped, and the sound of her footfalls changed. They were hard now, not like stepping through soft sand, more like hitting stone. She hunched down and let Gaara slide off her back, then said "This is where we're staying tonight. Stay there and I'll get you a blanket."

This is where the gifts from the villagers really helped. Because so many of them had been camping supplies, Misa had taken to supplying her regular hideouts with full camping gear and even some provisions. This meant that if she ever lost her pack, or in this case, needed an extra of something, it was waiting and ready for her. She kept such a stash in this cave. She brought Gaara a blanket from the Mist Village and a bedroll from the Rain Village and set them up deeper inside the cave. It might not get the warm winds the front did, but it would be safer for him back there, and she didn't want to risk the youth getting hurt. She decided not to get out dinner or start a fire. Gaara had been through a rough day, and would probably need sleep more than anything. She conked out.

Gaara didn't sleep. He never did. Tonight, he thought instead. He thought about living for others, helping people, and this girl who had gained his trust without even trying. These thoughts were more than enough to keep him busy through the night.


	23. Be more careful!

When Misa woke up, she saw Gaara sitting at the mouth of the cave. She walked up and sat down next to him. "How's your head?"

"Better." Gaara replied. "I don't get dizzy anymore." He was sitting very still, with none of the unsteadiness he'd had yesterday. He recovered quickly, it seemed.

"How about your eyes?"

"Still can't see anything, but I think the black is getting lighter."

Gaara heard her weight shift as she stood up. "Do you think you can look after yourself for a while? I need to go get some breakfast." The supplies in the cave were mostly dry biscuits, and Gaara needed better nutrients than those could supply. Besides, early morning was always the best time to hunt in the desert. Everything would still be out from their night roaming, but it would be light enough to get a decent sized catch. Once Gaara assured her that he would be fine, and after she coaxed him back into his bed to keep him from hurting himself, she set out in search of fuel and prey.

Without Gaara on her back, she made it to the water hole in about five minutes. She was in luck. A herd of something big had passed through last night, and the dung was already dry enough to handle. She scooped up the fuel, filled her water skin, and began looking around. The tracks of that herd were long gone, but there were others. One track in particular interested her. They were wolf pads, but more spread out than usual. That meant the wolf was sick, dangerously sick. She looked at the direction it had been heading and freaked. The paw prints overlapped her own. It was heading for the cave!

She had been so stupid! Why had she told him to get back in the bed?! His arms were pinned and if that wolf got in just one bite the boy wouldn't stand a chance! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! She ran alongside the prints, making a third set of tracks along her earlier running and the wolf's gait. She had to get there fast! The cliff came into view the same time she heard Gaara yell "Misa, is that you?" _No, you idiot! You'll give yourself away! _She ran faster.

Three seconds later she saw the wolf. It was huge, grey, and had foam all around its lips. She'd been right. It was sick. She slipped one of the kunai out of her side pocket, leapt, and landed on the shaggy back right behind the head. One smashing blow and it was dead. She leapt off the creature's back stormed into the cave, grabbed the boy by the shoulders and shook him. "You idiot! Never call out unless you know who it is! It's too dangerous here! That thing could have killed you in three seconds and you told it exactly where you were!" She stopped shaking him. "Please, be more careful. I will call out to you when I'm getting close. No." She thought for a second before finishing. "I'm not leaving you alone like that again. You won't be alone again." And she drew him into a hug.

After he'd called out, Gaara had heard the click of nails on the cave floor and knew that it wasn't Misa. He'd also heard the thump and crash of her attack. So he had a vague idea of what had happened when she stormed into the cave. Her shouting and shaking convinced him. She'd been right, he'd let his guard down. Why had he done that? He never did that. What Misa said next answered his question. Softly, she said. "I'm not leaving you alone like that again. You won't be alone again." That was why he could let his guard down. There was someone else now, someone who could help and take care of him. So when she hugged him, he hugged her back.

They stayed like that for a few moments while Misa's panicky anger ran out. She let go of him and said "I'm sorry I shook you. I was just worried about you, that's all. Now stay here while I go check out the wolf." The wolf had landed on its side. She kicked it onto its belly and examined the head. There was foam, but not too much, and the eyes weren't bloodshot yet. It had been in the early stages of the sickness. That was good. It meant that, with a little cooking, the meat wouldn't make them sick. She began getting out the dung and placing it in a teepee structure on the rocks in front of the cave mouth.

Gaara had made it to the mouth of the cave using the cave wall as a guide. He was staring in what he hoped was the right direction when all the sudden there was a patch of blackness that wasn't so black anymore, more like a dark grey. "What did you just do?"

Misa held up the magnifying glass that had been one of her gifts. "I started a fire."

"I could see it! I can still see it."

"How exactly? Do you see colors, light, motion?"

"It's just that the darkness in that one place isn't as black as the rest." Misa thought for a second. If this was only the second day, he really did recover fast. She had to get him back to his village before he completely recovered his sight. That way she could get him safely home without being unveiled. That she dreaded.

"Once I finished cooking the meat, we'll cure the rest and head for your village. Which one is yours?"

"Sand Village."

Misa thought for a second. Sand Village was pretty far away, at least a week's travel. And that was when she was running. Carrying Gaara would slow her down, but if he could walk maybe they could make good time. But once his eyes healed enough to tell colors apart, she would have to leave. Her telltale orange wouldn't hide forever. So, it was to be a race, their progress against his eyes. She flipped over the meat to grill the other side.


	24. It begins to stir

It was the end of their second day of travel. The first day of travel had been hard on them both. Gaara still hadn't gained enough strength or balance to set a good pace, so Misa carried him on her back. They stopped frequently to rest her arms. Her legs might be built for this sort of thing, but her arms weren't. It was a good thing Gaara was so small. That day had tired her so that she went right to sleep after dinner, and making sure Gaara was safe and comfortable. His eyes had gotten better during that time. Now he could see a little movement. He described it as a shift in the dark grey.

He'd woken up the second day certain he could walk reasonably quickly on his own, and he'd been right. They had to slow their pace, but they covered about the same amount of distance as they had the previous day. After all, even if they were going slower, they didn't have to stop for rest as often. Because she'd been walking at a third of her normal speed and hadn't been burdened with the youth, Misa had plenty of energy after dinner this time. Once she thought Gaara was asleep, she brought out her guitar and started to play some of her favorite songs. She could have just listened to the recordings, but playing always soothed her heart in a way the recordings just couldn't. She started with the first one she'd successfully put to guitar music. It was a song that, before discovering the changes made to her sense of direction, she'd hoped to sing to Naruto when she finally found him. (to the tune of May I)

And there you were, newly made, newly born.  
Knowing naught not of the world and its thorns.  
I was taken from you after one day.

But now I'm here and I have much to say.

Let me raise you up.  
Let me be your love.

May I hold you  
as you fall to sleep,  
when the world is closing in  
and you can't breathe.  
May I love you.  
May I be your shield.  
When no one can be found  
may I lay you down.

All I want is to keep you safe from the cold...  
to give you all that your heart needs the most.

Let me raise you up  
Let me be your love

[chorus]  
May I hold you (hold you)  
as you fall to sleep.  
When the world is closing in  
and you can't breathe,  
may I love you. (love you)  
May I be your shield.  
When no one can be found,  
may I lay you down.

[bridge]  
All that's made me (made me)  
Is all worth trading (worth trading)  
just to have one moment with you.  
So I will let go (will let go)  
all that I know (that I know)  
knowing that you're here with me.

For this love is changing me.

[chorus]  
May I hold you  
as you fall to sleep.  
When the world is closing in  
and you can't breathe,  
may I love you.  
May I be your shield.  
when no one can be found  
may I lay you down

Misa put down the guitar for a moment and mop her face. That song reminded her so badly of the pain in her chest that sometimes she wondered why she sang it. Then something brushed her shoulder.

It was Gaara. Unable to sleep, he'd crept up beside her and listened. Now, he asked, "Did you write that?" She nodded, afraid to speak. "Did you write it for someone?" She nodded again. "Who was he?"

There was silence for a little while, and finally Misa answered, her voice still cracking a little. "He was my brother. I wrote this song as a present for him, before I found out that I would never see him again. I think about him all the time."

Gaara heard the sobs in her throat and hugged her around her shoulders. At that moment, she wasn't the tough girl who'd fought off a wolf. She was someone who needed him. And as he held her and let her cry into his shoulder, something stirred in him that he thought he would never feel again.

Misa was grateful for his arms. It had been so long since she'd had someone else to talk to like this, to share things with. It felt so good to have someone care for her, the Human Animal, Caretaker of the World. She dropped her tough girl exterior and cried.


	25. The end of the beginning and vice versa

For the next nine days Gaara didn't think about Sand, the test, or any of the things he'd been thinking about before. The only thing Gaara could think about was Misa. Her understanding, her kindness, singing, and, best of all, her laughter, on the few occasions he could manage to get some. He rejoiced every time his eyes got better. He was convinced that, if he got to see her face, it would be just like the rest of her. Lovable.

Misa was almost as single-minded. Even when she was hunting or breaking camp, her thoughts were with him. Did he like lizard? Should she set up his bed in the shade? Other thoughts were filled with the ways he had changed, how he smiled more, the way he seemed to follow her every move. But the changes also made her sad. When he followed her with his eyes it reminded her of how much of his vision he'd gotten back, how little time they still had left. If he saw what she was, who she was, how would he react? Her fear was almost paralyzing.

His vision came back in stages. One morning, Gaara would wake up to find that there were more shades in the grey. Another, he'd see outlines better. She hoped that color would be the last thing that returned. After ten days of travel, they were getting close to his village anyway. The number of caves and oasis had dropped, signaling that they were getting very close to the heart of the desert, where the village flourished despite the harsh conditions.

It was on the eleventh morning. Misa had been scouting around to try and determine how far away the village was in case she had to flee. She didn't make much of a scout, depressed as she was from the thought of their time together coming to a close. She came back to their campsite as the sun was just peeping over the horizon. Gaara woke up from his light nap-those usually didn't make him go Sand Style- and when he saw the dingy brown backpack Misa had left behind, realized that the color had come back to his sight. It was good as new now. He heard footsteps in the sand, knew who it was, and turned around for his first true sight of the girl who had come to mean so much to him.

She was breathtaking. The sunrise behind her accentuated the orange in what he knew was her fur, highlighted the red in her hair, and starkly outlined her strong, feminine figure. The so-called beauties of Sand paled in comparison. Then she knelt down beside him. Her eyes were like liquid gems, quiet and deep, but sparkling. The way her eyebrows creased when she was worried was adorable. And that fur, that beautiful fur brought out all the color of her eyes and lips ten times more brilliantly than even the darkest tan would have.

She opened her mouth-Her teeth were so white!- and said "How are your eyes?"

"Perfect." She prepared to run. "You're perfect." She turned back. He was staring at her, but it wasn't a stare that she'd seen before. It wasn't fear. It wasn't astonishment. It wasn't disgust. It was… What was it?

Gaara propped himself up on one elbow, put his free hand behind the back of her head, and kissed her. That answered Misa's question.


	26. A kiss and a song

**Note: The fact that she's in love with Gaara does NOT make her a pedophile! They were drawn to each other's loneliness and vulnerability. It's a very pure relationship.**

That was Misa's first kiss. It was confusing, intoxicating, and angering at the same time. It was confusing because he'd just seen her face and had responded in love, not to mention the fact that he looked at least three years younger than her. How could someone so young be kissing her, let alone fallen in love with her?

She was intoxicated because, well, she returned his feelings. And what girl isn't intoxicated at least a little by her first kiss, especially when it's with someone you love deeply? It was her first experience with a romantic kind of love, which only increased the sensation.

She was angry because he'd waited until the day she had to return him to his village to show his feelings. Why hadn't he done this sooner? She wanted to slap him and hug him at the same time. She decided to hug him, pulling him in close and relaxing when she felt his arms around her middle.

They were so close that Gaara could whisper directly into her ear when he said "Don't make me go back to the village. Let me stay here with you." He'd heard the stories too. If he couldn't convince her to follow him into Sand, then he didn't think Sand was worth leaving her.

But Misa whispered to him, "You have to go back. There are people there worried about you. You have a home and a family waiting for you." She drew away from him. His eyes were so sad in that moment. She turned away and reached into her pack. "Here." She thrust a package at him. "Don't open it until you get back to the village. Come on." She grabbed his hand and started pulling him in the direction of the village. She didn't look at him.

When they could see the village, she stopped. "I can't go any further."

Gaara pleaded with her again. "Don't make me go back there. Please! I don't want to be alone again. It was bad enough the first time."

She turned around and looked him straight in the eyes. She almost broke and let him stay with her, but then she thought of the slip of paper she'd found in the shrine that morning, begging her to find Gaara and bring him home. "Don't say that. You won't be alone." She drew out the paper and let him read it. "See? They want you back."

"Then, this is goodbye?"

"No, just 'see you later'." She kissed him on his forehead and ran off in the direction of their camp.

Gaara's welcome into the village was a blur to him. He knew his siblings were there, that people were hugging him, and that 'Human Animal' was mentioned several times. But all he wanted to do was get back to his room so he could open her present to him. What had she given him?

He untied the strings and found a stack of paper and a book. On top was a letter that said only "Kiss the paper with strange markings." He found the paper underneath the letter and stared at it. It was covered in circles, spirals, and weird writing. Well, what harm could it do? He kissed it.

It erupted into sound. At first it was indistinguishable, but words began to come out of the noise. Misa's words. It was her voice, he was sure of it. "My dear Gaara, I know we cannot be together right now, But there will come a time when I can come home to be with you. Until then, use these recordings to stay in touch with me. If you make one following the instructions in the book I've given you, they will hold any spoken message or song you want me to hear. Leave it at the shrine outside the village. That's where I'll leave the ones I've made for you. I know it might be too late, but I love you." His knees gave way. Loved him? "You liked the song I wrote for Naruto, so here's one for you. I hope it helps." Guitar music began streaming from the parchment. (to the tune of I'll Come Back from Narnia.)

It started out as a feeling,

which then grew into a hope.

Which then turned into a quiet thought

Which then turned into a quiet word.

And then that word grew louder and louder

'Til it was a battle cry.

I'll come back when you call me.

No need to say goodbye.

Just because everything's changing

Doesn't mean it can't be like this again.

All you can do is try to wait the storm out

And know you're more than a friend.

Pick a star on the dark horizon

And know I share the light.

I'll come back when you call me.

No need to say goodbye.

I'll come back when you call me.

No need to say goodbye.

Now we're at the beginning

It's just a feeling and no one knows yet.

But just because they can't feel it too

Doesn't mean that you have to forget.

Let your memories grow stronger and stronger

'Til they're before your eyes.

I'll come back when you call me.

No need to say goodbye.

I'll come back when you call me.

No need to say goodbye.


	27. Snooping siblings

Temari got up from where she'd been listening through the crack underneath the door and locked gazes with Kankuro. He'd heard it all through the keyhole, and had even seen Gaara kiss the sheet of paper. What on earth had happened to him? He came back three days late, with no sand or even his gourd, looking like the world had just ended. Now he was kissing pieces of paper that sang. Granted, the song had been very nice, but still. It was beyond strange, and they couldn't even hear what it had been before the music started. And who had that been, anyway? All the Sound Ninja they'd met were way too twisted to make something like that, and they were the only ones who could sing, as far as Temari and Kankuro knew.

Then they heard footsteps. Gaara had heard them. The two quickly camouflaged themselves, hoping that in his dispirited state he wouldn't notice them like he usually would have. He passed right by them. Kankuro breathed a sigh of relief, but Temari was more confused than ever.

Why on earth did he look so happy? She'd never seen him with even the slightest hint of a smile, and here he was grinning for the entire world to see! Two seconds ago he'd looked more downcast than a mile high thundercloud. What was going on?

Kankuro made for the stairs, but Temari dragged him into Gaara's room. He tried to pull away. "What are you doing? Do you know what'll happen if he catches us in here? I wouldn't be surprised if he killed us."

She swung her brother around until she was facing him. "Look. Something happened to him out there, and it has to do with that sheet of paper." She pointed to the piece with circles all over it. "Let's see what we can find." He tried to break away again, but his sister's iron grip withstood his attempts. He resigned himself and started looking through the things Gaara had brought back with him.

Almost everything he'd had when they left him was still there, even though it had been very little to begin with. The only thing that was new was the package he'd taken the paper out of. Kankuro picked up the sheet Gaara had kissed. "Why don't we just, I don't know, turn this thing on?" Before Temari could stop him by saying that if Gaara heard that he would come running, Kankuro had already pressed the thing to his mouth.

Misa'a message repeated, along with the song. After the last "No need to say goodbye," the two took their eyes off the sheet of paper and stared at each other.

Then someone behind them said, "Are you quite finished going through my things?" Gaara was standing in the doorway.


	28. A plan of action

Kankuro looked at his sister. _What do we do now? _

She gave him a frantic look. _I don't know! _Temari could feel him saying "Well, you got us into this mess, you fix it."

She slowly turned around to face her demon of a younger brother. _If looks could kill…_His stare was certainly cold enough to freeze them both to death. She thought of coming up with a creative lie and then remembered that he'd always been able to see through her. Besides, the truth wasn't that bad in this case. "I'm sorry, Gaara. You weren't yourself when you came back, so we thought something might have happened. We thought we could find something out by looking through that package you had when you came back." Kankuro was nodding enthusiastically from behind her shoulder.

To their surprise, he didn't charge them or shoot sand at them. Instead, he sighed and said "Well, I suppose you would have found out sooner or later." He began picking up the mess they made and putting it to rights.

Emboldened by his apparent lack of hostilities, Temari asked "Who is she?" Kankuro looked at her like she'd lost her mind. _Are you crazy? You barely escaped death by sand coffin and now you're prying in even more? _She ignored him and focused on her younger brother instead.

Gaara gave up trying to remain silent. "Her name is Misa. She rescued me eleven days ago when I got hurt in a sandstorm. She helped heal me and brought me back here. Anything else you want?"

"Is she the Human Animal?" She had to step on Kankuro's foot to keep him from saying how dangerous this questioning was.

"Yes. She's even more beautiful than they say." The faintest hint of a smile crept up onto his face as he remembered that first real glimpse of her.

Okay, she was certain. Honestly, of all the people to fall in love with… "You do realize you'll never see her again?"

That brought him back to earth! The smile vanished faster than her fan closing. "Why?"

"An outsider like her? There's no way she'd be let through the front gates, let alone get to see you again. She could be a spy, arsonist, assassin…There's no way anyone would trust her."

She was right and Gaara knew it. But he that didn't mean he had to accept it. "Isn't there a way? Some way to get people to trust her?"

Temari snorted. "You'd need at least an invitation from the Kazekage, but there's no way that could happen."

_Wait. Kazekage? _His mind was racing. _We don't have a Kazekage right now. The seat's wide open. If I could…_He turned to his siblings. "How do you become Kazekage?"

After surrendering Gaara back to the Sand Village, Misa wandered for a long time. She didn't want to go back to Sand, not knowing what waited for her. She'd known from the beginning what Temari had said, that there was no way they could be together. So she put off going back as long as she could.

After three months had gone by, she finally decided she couldn't avoid the subject anymore. She trudged back to Sand and went at night to the shrine to see if Gaara had left anything for her. She was also going to leave a song for him, explaining the situation in case he didn't understand it himself. She thought that, the sooner he gave up on her, the sooner he could find someone else. So when she found a letter from him waiting for her, she ran to her hideout and kissed it.

_My Beloved Misa,_

_ I know why you didn't come into the village with me when you left me here. It wasn't because you were scared. It was because the village as it is now cannot accept you. If things stay the way they are, we won't be able to be together. That's why I'm going to change it. In a few months I'll be eligible for Jounin tests. It's possible to go straight from Genin to Jounin if you're good enough. And I intend to be. I'm going to become Kazekage and change this village from the inside out so that, when I'm old enough and if you still love me, I can…_

The recording paused. She listened, barely daring to breathe. What it said next made her cry to joy.

_Can ask you to marry me._

Misa squealed so loudly that she almost missed the next part. Yes! Yes! Yes! She wanted to scream it to the world. It was a good thing she didn't though. Otherwise she wouldn't have heard the next part, which was kind of important.

_ You can help my village too, by bolstering your reputation. There are dozens of stories about you all over the ninja world, but most of them are fairly mysterious. You always hide yourself, so no one knows you very well and people are a little afraid of you. If you can show yourself, make yourself accepted by more and more people, it will be easier for Sand to accept you. _

His tone changed. He was pleading with her, but she could feel the hum of excitement in his voice.

_Please! It's asking a lot of you, I know, but I'll be working hard too. Becoming Kazekage isn't going to be easy. But if you're willing to try, I am too. Don't forget that I love you. Please give me a reply soon._

She quickly kissed the parchment to stop it, dived on top of her backpack, and furiously dug through it. She came up with a piece of paper, drew the seal on as fast as possible, kissed it so hard she nearly tore the paper, and said "The number of stories will triple in the next three months. I will be infamous by the time you make Jounin."

She tore across the sands, rammed the piece of paper into the shrine, and ran as fast as possible in the direction of the nearest ninja village. Time to start making a name for herself.


	29. Working hard

That single letter changed much of how Misa operated. She didn't just wander around anymore. By now she knew exactly where each village was and how long it would take her to get there. Instead of aimless wanderings, she focused on hitting villages as fast as possible, doing at least three good things, and racing back to Sand to tell Gaara to expect new stories, and more often than not give him one of the songs she'd written. Her travels resembled the spokes of a wheel, with Sand Village at the center.

The way she worked changed too. Kids saw her face and, if she wanted to make a greater effect, got a hug and a leading hand. Ninja who were injured still got knocked out before she could treat them, but she left songs and letters where they could find them. The scope of her help changed to. Pets that wandered past her ended up home with notes in their collars. Sometimes, Misa even sneaked into the village at night, stole the list of D-rank missions, and did as many as she could before the sun rose, always leaving a note where people were sure to find it.

Combining all the notes, extra tasks, and even sightings of her changed the tone of the stories completely. People knew more about her and began to love her even more. A playful, helpful youth was much more likeable than a mysterious voice. The gifts Misa received showed her the fruit of her labors. They weren't just all-purpose items anymore, but things that were tailored to her personally. Camping supplies were replaced by songbooks, instruments, and fun clothing. She had fun learning the new tunes and experimenting with her looks, but the instruments found a different home.

Once she'd figured out how to play them, Misa wrote an instruction manual and left it at the Sand Village. Gaara had been rough at composing at first, but he was getting better and better at making songs. The instruments added a nice touch to his music.

Gaara also changed his schedule. Training became a way of life. If there was something new to be learned, he learned it. From 6 in the morning to 7 at night, he trained in Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu. At the rate he pushed himself, he was going to be at least a Jounin before the year was out.

He also stopped killing people. His instinctive need to kill to prove his existence had vanished. There was someone who loved him, and as long as she still remembered him, then he had to have existed at some point. This helped increase others' good opinion of him, as he became more stable and even a little likeable.

But after training was over and he'd finished his lessons for the day, Gaara retreated to his bedroom. He would get out paper, ink, and start writing lyrics about whatever was running around in his head, usually something orange. This was his favorite time of the day.

It was during one of these times when Temari was going past his bedroom to put away her laundry when she caught a strain of music from under the door. She stopped to listen in.

I dreamt of you last night, my love,

The first time I felt your touch.

Woke up to find it's just the covers.

I miss you so much.

Want to run away from everything

Leave behind all that I've learned.

The only thing that keeps me here

Is knowing what I've earned.

I've earned my Jounin title.

I've earned a way for you.

'Cause every step that they'll accept

Means they'll take you too.

I pray the day is coming soon

When I walk you down that isle.

I'll lift the veil and catch a glimpse

Of that furry little smile.

Oh, I miss you.

_Holy smokes! He's good! _Temari thought as she started moving down the hallway again.

Gaara popped his head out of his bedroom, saw Temari, and asked "What's you think?"

Temari would have been surprised, except that he'd done the same thing to Kankuro yesterday. "I thought it was really good. What was that in the background?"

He came out from behind the door with something in his hands. "It's a shamisen. Misa left it for me at the shrine, along with an instruction manual about how to play it. Really, it's one of the best for background music." He retreated back into his room, but not before motioning that she should join him. He plucked a few strings as she sat down on the floor, and started playing his new song from the top.


	30. Contact

**This is where I throw out the original ad let Misa screw with the entire plot. Enjoy!**

It was three years after Gaara had given Misa the letter outlining their plan to get her accepted into the village. He had become the Kazekage and had extended citizenship to Misa by the request of Sand Village. They had decided to reveal the love they had nurtured over the months and announce that she would be taking up residence in Sand. It was the day before this announcement when it happened.

Misa checked the shrine for a letter from Gaara. She was expecting one telling her the time and manner by which she would enter the village. It wasn't there. Instead, she found a letter from Temari. She opened the letter right then and there, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

The ink was smudged and still wet in some places. This had been written in a hurry. As she read it, she understood why.

_Misa,_

_ A group called the Akatsuki had been hunting Jinchuriki for a while. Jinchuriki are people who have spirits sealed inside them. My brother had the Sand Spirit inside him, but the Akatsuik wanted it so they came after him. They caught him last night. Kankuro went out to try to stop them but got poisoned. Konoha sent help but I don't know if they'll be enough. Please, go and find him. Bring him back, and I swear I'll never say anything against the two of you being together again._

She dropped the letter and dug into her pack. She wanted to cry but didn't dare. If she cried now it would block out all the sounds. Instead, she focused hard. There was a group from another village. They would have a different accept than the ones she was used too. There! Someone was saying something about a buttonhook. It was a different accent, coming from quite a distance away. She dropped her pack. It was weight she didn't need right now. And she ran. Misa 's speed broke every record from every village. Of course it did. She was running for HIS life.

"Give him back!" The blonde boy charged toward the enemy when there was a sudden wind. Suddenly, the enemy who had been sitting on top of the boy was lying face down on the floor knocked out and a girl was lifting Gaara into her arms. She was there for only a moment before the wind passed them again and she was gone with the boy.

Naruto was the first to react. He turned around and yelled "You're not taking him again."

He ran off before Chiyo yelled "Stop!" Kakashi looked at her in puzzlement. "He'll be fine. Don't you know who that was?" Kakashi shook his head. "I will tell you later. For right now we need to get rid of these two." She pointed at the two advisories. Neither made a move to stop the Human Animal and Gaara. Why would they? They'd already gotten what they wanted. But she and the Konoha bunch could at least stop them from getting away with it. Chiyo got her shuriken ready.

As soon as Misa was out of site of the cave, she put Gaara down. She felt for breath first, then a pulse, and finally put her ear against his chest. Nothing. She was starting to cry when Naruto caught up with her.

Okay, now he was confused. This girl looked nothing like the rest of the Akatsuki. She wasn't wearing one of their crazy cloaks and was crying to boot. He swallowed the shout that had building at the back of his throat and approached quietly. As soon as she stopped crying enough to hear his footfalls, she scooped up Gaara and started running again. She took him all the way to the village gate, hastily wrote a note to Temari telling her to send for her if Gaara was dead or improved, and ran for her nearest hideout to wait.

Temari was on watch, so she saw Misa almost at once. She ordered two of the bigger wall sentries to come down and help her with him. They took him to the infirmary. That was where Chiyo and Naruto found him later, and revived him using the Forbidden Jutsu. After being thanked numerous times and holding a service for Chiyo, the Knonha bunch headed home. Gaara finished being welcome and cried over a little later. At the first opportunity, he snuck out and went to the shrine.

Misa was waiting for him. He smiled when he saw her. "Thank you for helping to save me. I don't know how they would have gotten me away from those two without your help."

She walked up to him and pulled him into a tight hug, and was surprised to find that he was as tall as she was now. "You've grown. Now I don't have to bend down to kiss you."

He smiled, his arms around her waist. "Dare I say you've gotten prettier?" Then his smile became more serious. "The whole village knows what you did today. How you saved me. This is a perfect time for you to come and live with me."

Her smile took on a sadder hue. "I would love too. You know that. But…"

"But what?"

"Temari told me that they were hunting all the Jinchuriki, not just you. That means they're hunting Naruto too. I'm surprised they didn't go after him today." She stared up into her beloved's eyes. "I have to protect him now. As soon as the threat's gone, I'll come back and marry you, but for now I have to obey my father's wished and look after him. I promise, I will come back."

His eyes began to well up. They'd been so close! "I will wait for you. Just, hurry. Please."

She kissed him on the forehead like she had the first time they'd parted, then picked up her pack and ran off into the woods. Both of them were crying.


	31. Keeping watch

Over the next few weeks Misa dogged her brother's footsteps. She memorized the timbre of his voice and listened for it every moment she wasn't sleeping or hunting. Since it was obvious to the Leaf Village that letting Naruto outside of the boundaries was asking for trouble, Misa didn't see him again until he left for the Kage Summit. When she did, the sisterly love that she'd harbored for years flamed up into a blaze that rivaled her passion for Gaara. He'd grown up to be someone fine, in every way. Bold and heartfelt, powerful and versatile, handsome in a completely unique way… he was everything she had hoped he would be.

But what she loved most were the people around him. She could almost have left him in their capable hands, except that her father had asked her personally to look after him. But the black-haired man had his tailed form under control and the silvery dude was a good mentor. She could see how he affected the other ninja his age, and how they gave him their friendship and loyalty in return.

But keeping an eye on her brother stretched her abilities to the limit. Silence wasn't enough, not with trained ears like this. Nonexsistence was required to fool them, especially the kids with the light blue eyes and the silvery dude. She also couldn't remain secluded for very long. It was a good thing she'd gotten a long cloak as a gift. She often mingled with those in the street, keeping a few people between herself and Naruto at all times. She was so focused on not being detected by him and the other Leaf ninja that she didn't notice the others.

But they noticed her. A wind brushing the cloak hem past her ankles, a quick slip of the hand as she traded a rabbit carcass for bread. These did not go unnoticed by those who knew what they meant. Stories began to fly, keeping her legend alive even while she stopped doing good. Once the Kage summit was over and Naruto returned to Konoha, she resumed her patrols around the perimeter where she could reach, helping the odd ninja or civilian who crossed her path.

Because she stayed so close to Konoha, Misa didn't find many opportunities to visit Sand Village. Gaara knew this. Instead of constantly checking the shrine for new songs and letters, he decided to turn his attention towards something else. His music.

Gaara had thirteen different instruments, but they were pretty useless since he couldn't play them all at once. He was mulling over this problem one day in the Office of the Kazekage. He was twirling a rough wooden flute in one hand. He'd wanted to use it in the background music for his latest song, but how was he supposed to play the stupid thing and sing at the same time? He was getting ready to throw it out the window in frustration when someone said, "If you don't want it, can I have it?"

He looked up to find one of the Genin teams. They'd just returned from their first C-ranked mission, as messengers to Konoha to find out more about the Akatsuki's movements. It was the oldest of the Genins who'd spoken. Gaara studied him for a moment. The boy was clearly older than his compatriots, by a year at least. He was staring intently at the flute. That gave him an idea.

He told the boy to wait for him after their mission report. It wasn't pretty. Konoha had been all but destroyed by the Akatsuki known as Pain, but Naruto had been there to stop him. They were rebuilding now, but it wouldn't be long before the Kage were asked to meet again. There were now only two Jinchuriki left, Killer Bee and Naruto, and they would have to be protected. The instructor finished giving his report. "Oh, and we received this for you." The man reached into his thigh pouch and brought out a piece of paper.

Gaara would have recognized that seal anywhere. "Who gave it to you?"

"I don't know, sir. I found it when I was unpacking last night, rolled up with another piece that said to give it to the Kazekage." He handed Gaara the paper. "Do you know who it's from, sir?"

"Yes. Thank you for the report." The team left. Gaara would gladly have run to his room so he could listen to Misa's message, but knew that he had business to take care of first. The boy was waiting outside his office. Gaara handed the boy the flute and Misa's instruction book. "Enjoy them. Goodness knows we'll be needing its music soon."

The next day, the summons for the Kage meeting arrived.


	32. Revelation

Misa was on the group from Konoha the minute they were in range. Trailing the group was relatively simple. Her shadowing of them had improved her skills to the point where she could disguise every trace of her existence so thoroughly that not even Kiba or Neji could find her. She trailed them to the island. Once they arrived, Misa set up camp among the stone outcroppings along the perimeter and settled in for what she thought would be a long vigil, since she didn't know about what Gaara and the rest of the shinobi world were getting ready to do. Once she'd settled in, she listened for Naruto's voice, found it, satisfied herself that he wasn't in any danger, and got out her guitar.

Naruto could not have been happier. He had a sister! Ma had told him all about her. _I swear, as soon as this is over I'm gonna try to find her. _He walked out to the edge of the forest to catch some of the sea breeze when he heard something. It was music, but like nothing he'd ever heard before. The words were what captivated his attention.

He's close to me now, I can feel it.

Perhaps it is time to reveal it.

My heart is not so hard or cold

That I don't want the secret told.

If he's ready,

My heart's steady.

I'm waiting for you now.

Naruto.

Those words sent shivers down his spine. _Could it really be? _He followed the singing through the spines of rock until he found a campsite. There wasn't a tent or anything, just a fire pit and some bedding. The girl who'd been singing was sitting on another of the stone spires with her back towards him. He recognized that orange fur! It was the girl who'd helped to save Gaara. Then she rose from where she was sitting and turned around.

There was no denying it. That was Ma's hair and eyes, although the shape was more like Pa's. He stumbled towards her, almost not believing it. She really did exist. His sister. Then she said "Hello little brother." Naruto broke into a run.

Misa hopped down from the spire she'd been sitting on, braced herself for impact, and caught him in a hug so tight it nearly cracked his ribs. When she let go enough to see his face, she was surprised to see him crying. His voice was choking up when he said "You're real. I'm so happy." He buried his face in her chest and cried.

She hadn't been expecting this. Had he known about her from the start? Had she slipped up somewhere? Or did his memory go back all the way to his birth? No that wasn't possible. No one remembered that far back, and she would have known if someone from Konoha had spotted her. There was no way they would have just left her alone after that, not with their track record. So how did he know?

He answered her unspoken question by saying "I didn't believe Ma at first. But when she started talking about you, how you had fur and everything, I remembered seeing someone like that when I went to rescue Gaara." He looked up at her again, his eyes beginning to clear. "That was you, right?"

She brushed his hair back from his headband. "Yes that was me. I didn't realize who you were either until later. By then, you'd gone back to the village and I couldn't follow you. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I'm just glad I got to meet you."

They stayed together like that for a while, quietly hanging on to each other. Both were beyond happy. Misa was holding her little brother for the first time in sixteen years. Naruto had found the family he'd always wished for. The contentment was too deep for words. Naruto didn't let go until he heard Bee calling for him to start his mission.


	33. Charging in

They walked back to Bee and the others together. There was no reason for Misa to hide anymore. Her reputation was at the level that anyone who wasn't from Konoha would know exactly who she was.

The minute they entered the clearing where the others were, there was a shuriken at Misa's throat and one of the Konoha ninja behind her. "Don't move. Who are you and why are you here?" It was the one with the wood style.

Bee started laughing. "Who she is? Man, you guys are dumb. That's the greatest ninja girl under sun. She's been the Human Animal since she was five. She's the toughest, strongest, fastest, kindest girl alive, fool, ya fool."

Naruto looked at her in amazement. "Really?"

She smiled mischievously. "Well, he might be exaggerating a little." The group spent most of the morning catching up. Konoha got a crash course on the legend of the Human Animal and Naruto told Misa all about what had been happening to him and the rest of the village.

Yamato watched the two of them as the caught up with each other. Like all the older shinobi of Konoha, he remembered about the Fourth's strange daughter, but had presumed her dead a long time ago. It was incredible that she'd survived for so long on her own, and become a legendary figure to almost the entire shinobi world. If she came back to the village with them after all this was over, they could learn a lot from her and she could stay with Naruto. It was a pretty good trade-off.

Bee got up. "Okay, talking's done. Time for some training fun!" He gestured for Naruto to follow him.

Misa turned to Yamato. "Where are they going?"

Yamato answered "Bee's going to teach Naruto how to control the Nine-Tailed Fox. We should probably not disturb them for a while."

"Then how close can I be to him without disturbing them?"

Yamato thought for a minute. "Well, the chamber they're going to train in is pretty well sealed off, so you could probably sit right outside the door and not bother them." He walked her to the front of the chamber and left her sitting cross-legged in front of it, humming.

When he was out of earshot of the girl, Iruka came to see him. He'd been keeping tabs on the group since they'd arrived, and was very curious about this newcomer. "Who's she?"

What Yamato said next left him gaping. "She's Naruto's older sister." He proceeded to tell Iruka everything he knew, from the events of sixteen years ago to her explanation of her recent years.

After he got over his surprise, Iruka listened with growing happiness. He'd come to love the boy, and was happy that he had real family now, not just friends and mentors. "She turned up at just the right time. Having her around should keep Naruto distracted from the fight." He was dead wrong.

About three hours later, Naruto almost ran Misa over as he ran out of the room. She grabbed his ankle to slow him down, unintentionally tripping him. "What're you in such a hurry for?"

"I felt the fox's chakra, but not from me. It was coming from outside this island. Something's up."

Misa became serious at once. "What direction did it come from?" He pointed to the left. Misa tuned out the sounds of the island and concentrated her energy on the distant sounds coming from that direction.

Swords clashing. Chants. Yelled commands. A battle was going on. She told Naruto what she was hearing and they started running together. Before they could leave the sealed off area of the island, they ran into some trouble in the form of Iruka and his team.

Naruto roared at them. "What's going on? Why is there a battle on the mainland and you're not letting me fight?" Iruka began to explain. Naruto listened to every word, but Misa was focusing on something else.

The voices in that chaos, one in particular. She was listening for the unique timbre of Gaara's voice. _Please don't let me find it. I don't want him mixed up in that. But there's no way he could avoid it, he's Kazekage. I have to find him, protect him._ Then that beloved voice pierced all other sounds. She heard him clearly as he shouted orders to his men. She had to get out. She had to go to him.

Naruto was breaking free of their attempts to detain him, but they were half-hearted and easy to break. The other team was certain in the barrier of rock behind them. But they hadn't counted on Misa. She got out her Kunai, leapt behind them, and jammed the weapon into the wall. Then she took several steps back, leapt straight up, and dove down towards the kunai, hitting it with both of her feet, her entire body weight, and all the force of her leap and fall. The solid rock crumbled like pie crust. The other ninja had no time to recover from their awe before Naruto and Misa streaked past them, through the waterfall, and into the open heading for the edge of the island and the source of battle.

Misa wanted to run to Gaara and help him, but she couldn't. There was no way Naruto would be able to keep up with her, and she had a promise to keep. In fact, it was a good thing shekept pace with him. If she hadn't, She wouln't have been able to push the Beast Bomd through the barrier and get out with minimal energy loss.

Once they hit the ground outside of the Barrier, they waited for Bee to catch up and started running, or in Misa's case jogging, in the direction of the battle. After about thirty minutes, Misa stopped them. "Someone's ahead. I don't know either of them. I'm going ahead to surprise them, you just keep running." She finally kicked into high gear and disappeared from their sight in seconds.

Naruto gave an impressive whistle and turned to Bee. "Is my sister awesome or what?" Bee just grinned at him.


	34. Her Part

**Sorry I took so long, This chapter required a LOT of research and rereading.**

As Misa got closer to the two voices, she circled around so that she could come at them from behind. They both looked fairly powerful, so she waited until the other ninja met up with Naruto and Bee. The big guy shouted, "I won't let you pass!" Misa kicked into an even higher gear.

Before the last s was out of A's mouth, there was a kunai at both his and Tsunade's throats. A voice behind them said "They will pass you. You get to pick whether they do it over corpses or not." He turned his head a fraction and caught site of orange, although he couldn't see much clearer out of the furthest corner of his eye.

Still, he had a pretty good idea of who it was. "And why should we let him pass?"

"He is the only one who can stop this war." Misa stepped out from behind them and turned to stare into their faces. "He bore the hatred of an entire village and more. I have watched as he has touched other's lives and sacrificed himself time and time again to bring about peace in people's hearts." She walked towards Naruto and put an arm around his shoulders. "Plus, he's got Mom and Dad to depend on inside and me to protect him outside. What are sisters for?"

The Raikage thought for a moment. He might not know much about Naruto, but the Human Animal was a different story. The deeds she'd done in their name had not been easy, particularly the ones she stole of the list of D-ranked missions. If she was his protector, maybe they could actually do some good in this fight. The Raikage stepped aside for them. Tsunade stepped aside for similar reasons. She knew what Naruto was capable of, and had seen much of his work firsthand, particularly the incident with Pain. That chakra cloak around him indicated that he had a new skill in his arsenal, and she was willing to trust him to Bee, and to a very lesser degree this new ninja. The three passed through and continued running towards the biggest mass of battle they could find.

After a few minutes, both Naruto and Bee got a far-away look in their eye. It stayed there for a while, and when they snapped out of it she turned to her brother and asked what was wrong.

"There are enemy clones in the army, and I'm the only one who can see them. On top of that, Madara the boss needs me and Bee for some sort of plan, so I'll have to watch out for him. But first we have to deal with the clones."

Misa nodded. "Just tell me who to hit."

A group of ninja was approaching them. Bee stopped his running to say high but Naruto immediately kicked the one in front. Misa assessed the situation in moments. "Who can I hit?"

He shouted "Everyone!" between punches and raesengans.

What followed was so smooth it was almost choreographed. Naruto handled all the clones that came charging in from the front while Misa zipped around the edges knocking the enemy unconscious. Bee didn't even have to move. The battle was over in fifteen seconds. Then he summoned a huge toad and created dozens of himself and sent them off wherever there was fighting. Then he, Bee, and Misa started running again.

As they ran, Misa turned to her brother, grinning. "I'm impressed. Where'd you learn Dad's Summoning Jutsu?"

"From Pervy Sage." He turned to tell her more, then noticed her face. She looked very unhappy, like she knew something she wasn't telling him and she didn't like it. "What's wrong?"

She quickly returned from her thought and painted on a smile. "Nothing. Just getting ready to kick more clone butt." Then she turned faced the front again and that expression darkened her face again.

_Gaara, be careful._ She was listening to his fight intently. She'd first picked up on it when he'd addressed his enemy as "father". Now she was listening with a growing sensation of ignorance. All the things his father was saying, things like having no friends and being a failure, Misa had known about none of them. _How can I claim to love him when I don't know the first thing about him? _These thoughts threatened to swallow her as more and more was revealed about the boy she'd given her heart to.

She was so distracted by Gaara's fight that she almost didn't notice when Naruto and Bee stopped in front of Itachi and Pain. Luckily, the sound of Pain's greeting penetrated her concentration on Gaara's fight and she was brought back in time to jump into the surrounding trees in case he needed backup against the two ninja. She was still distracted by Gaara's fight, though, so she didn't see the fireball coming. The next thing she saw was black.


	35. Sacrifice

**Sorry this took so long, but I needed to research a lot of the original story. I still managed to change a ton of it, though.**

Misa was woken by talking. "News from Headquarters! The conditions are good at the reinforcement point! Meaning Naruto Uzumaki is holding his ground! Naruto and Bee-dono, who we're here to protect, are currently fighting with all their hearts on the front lines! The same goes for Kakashi and Guy! We want you all the join them!" She desperately cast around for the source of the noise and then realized it had been inside her head. She brushed it off as a ninja trick and concentrated on finding Naruto.

There! He was too far out of range to make out distinct words, but from his tone he was probably teasing someone. _That's my brother alright. _She started to get up and screamed as pain lanced through her. She looked down.

Misa was badly wounded. The fireball that knocked her out had directly hit her right leg. White gleamed through the charred flesh at the front, and the muscle in the back was burnt halfway through. _ I can't run with my leg like this. I should stop and let my chakra take care of it. _But she couldn't. She had heard Naruto's battle and Gaara was probably still fighting as well. There was no way she could sit this out.

But it was a problem. When she started to run, pain shot up her leg again and she slowed until it no longer hurt unbearably. She knew that, if she ran faster, she would be damaging her leg even further. If she did that, she'd be completely useless no matter how much she wanted to help. She hoped her chakra would take care of it, but every time she looked down she didn't see any improvement.

This was due to two factors. First, there was the wound itself. Most of the flesh had been burnt off the leg, limiting how much of her chakra systems and generators remained intact. In fact, there wasn't a single undamaged channel, and the powerhouse in that area had been completely burnt off.

And her emotional state wasn't helping matters. Confusion, worry, doubt… all of these emotions were inhibiting her subconscious mind, therefore effecting her chakra control. She jogged as best she could.

Lee was running alongside his teammates when he spotted something through the crowd to his right. It looked like an orange blur running in the same direction as them. The ninja running next to him, from the Mist village, gave a shout. "She's here! Look!"

Ninja from other villages turned and saw the blur, and a great shout rose. "It is her!" "She's decided to fight with us!" Hurry, we can't lose her!" Ninja all around Lee picked up their pace so they could keep the blur in sight. They managed to keep up for a while, but it eventually disappeared. Neji had noticed the commotion too. _What was that? _

As she ran, she kept herself tuned in to his battle. They'd stopped fighting for the moment and were talking. She was still too far out of range to hear anything besides voices and shouted words, so the first thing she heard clearly was Naruto saying "I told you already! I won't give up on my dream of becoming Hokage!" He sounded like he wanted to say more, but someone she'd never herd before cut him off.

She was getting into range for more words now so she heard everything. "Your dream demands that the world stays as it is. Full of conflict. A world under the Eye of Moon will have none of that. This world is full of war and broken people and regret." The words were carried on the wind. They struck into the hearts of the approaching ninja. _Could what he was saying be true?_ Then, if in answer, singing started, and those who recognized it almost smiled. (I do not own this song)

But isn't it beautiful  
The way we fall apart  
It's magical and tragic all the ways we break our hearts  
So unpredictable  
We make ourselves miserable  
We think we're invincible  
Completely unbreakable  
And maybe we are  
Isn't it beautiful  
The way we all fall apart

We will fight

To have the right

To bleed and mend again.

Don't you dare

Think we won't care.

Your lies will be your end.

Illusion will fade.

The peace that you made

Will crumble down one day.

And we will be free

To once again see

How to make our way.

And isn't it beautiful  
The way we fall apart  
It's magical and tragic all the ways we break our hearts  
So unpredictable  
We make ourselves miserable  
We think we're invincible  
Completely unbreakable  
And maybe we are  
Isn't it beautiful  
The way we all fall apart

Doubts vanished from the hearts of the running ninja. This was a voice they knew, and it was saying what they'd known all along. In this certainty they found new strength and started running even faster.

About five minutes after she finished the second refrain she saw them. Naruto had a huge hand extending from his own which was about to crash down on someone who was probably the enemy, based on the earlier conversation. The other two ninja weren't moving.

Misa forgot that she had to be careful with her leg and ran into the fight. She tried to grab the man around the middle, but she fell right through him! _Okay, that was weird._ Then Naruto yelled at her. "Get out of the way!"

That yell brought back the brooding Kakashi and he saw Naruto and this new kid fighting. He yelled to them both, "Attack with everything you've got!"

Naruto started throwing massive shuriken at him. They slid through the first time, but Misa, who was behind him, caught them and charged in. At the exact moment Misa ran through the enemy's lower half, Kakashi focused on the shuriken and sent the weapons to the other dimension. The tactic worked. There were now massive cuts all over the enemy's lower body. But those wounds came at a terrible price.

Misa hadn't been in range to clearly hear Kakashi's explanation. Because of that, she'd gripped the weapons very tightly, and since they were passing through Tobi's body when Kakashi transported them, he hadn't been able to concentrate solely on the shuriken, only the area where he thought they would be. That was the instant the other ninja arrived. This was what they saw.

Shuriken started flying towards Kakashi, each with one hand still attached. The Human Animal was falling out of Tobi, her hands completely gone. The enemy was wounded badly, bleeding from huge slices in his legs and lower torso. Naruto was charging in, Raesengans in each hand. The statue behind them looked like it was ready to pop. Then they attacked.


	36. A last-ditch effort

Drip. Drip. Drip. Misa could hear the blood dripping off her wrists. That was the only real thing. That and the pain. The pain made everything black. A dark black. There was nothing. Nothing but the drip and the pain.

Then there was something else. A different noise. She thought she'd heard it before. Before this world of pain and black. She listened harder. It was a voice, but whose? It wasn't her own. It wasn't Naruto. Naruto! He was still fighting! The world snapped back to her as her eyes opened and she saw a face. But it wasn't Naruto. It was someone else. She remembered him. Who was he? She tried to get up to get a better look.

Something pushed her back down. "Easy now." The boy, at least he sounded like a boy, turned to the other face beside him. "How is she?"

Tsukushi didn't look up to answer him as she stripped off her jacket. "She's losing blood way too fast. We have to put pressure on her wrists." She tore the jacket in half and bunched each part up. "Press these against the stumps. Press like you're trying to force them into her arms. I have to make tourniquets."

Moshiro grabbed the cloth and shoved it where Misa's hands had once been. "There are premade ones in my pouch. Get them."

Tsukushi dug through the pouch and pulled them out. Deftly identifying each part, she turned to the first of Misa's wrists. Then a tail of chakra smashed down between them, nearly crushing Tsukushi's hand as it reached out with the tourniquet. She saw that it was one of the fox's chakra tails. She was about to scream at Naruto when she noticed Misa's wrist. The end had been cauterized and sealed by the chakra's heat. It wasn't bleeding anymore.

Once she looked up, she began to notice how many people were wearing the odd chakra like armor. _Looks like the fox boy has been sharing. I just need him to get the other one. _But Naruto was rather busy battling Obito at the moment. He and everyone else in the alliance were giving it all they had, but it still wasn't enough. They needed more!

The burn brought Misa back to her senses. The pain had flared for that moment, but now it was cut in half. She could concentrate better now. As her vision cleared she saw Tsukushi and Moshiro bending over her, trying to reach her other wrist. She muttered "Leave it. Go help someone else." She got up on her good leg, tucked the wrist into her armpit, and started walking towards the huge struggle.

She opened up her ears and let them search for those voices, the voices she needed more than anything right now. If she didn't hear them… no. She wasn't going to think about it.

She didn't have to. Naruto was loud and clear, arguing with Obito. Gaara…Where was he? She swiveled her head back and forth, trying to catch his voice. Nowhere. _Maybe I just can't hear him, _she thought. _After all, this is a battlefield. I just need to get closer. _She stumbled towards the killing ground.

It took her half an hour to pass the first of the group of fighters. She was a sorry sight. Staggering on her burnt leg, one arm still dripping blood, clothes soaked with it, deathly pale, still she pushed on. Those who knew her were infuriated. How dare they reduce her to this! New energy coursed through them, pushing them to fight harder.

The wave was almost tangible. Tails the Ten-Tails sent towards the back of the battle came away with chunks cut out of them. Arrows and shuriken flew thicker. Neither one of the enemy could understand what was causing the change. Of course, neither Obito nor Madara even saw Misa. They were too busy fighting.

As she stumbled through the crowd, Misa began to falter again. She'd lost over half the blood in her body by now. She knew what was happening. She'd done it enough times when she was hunting. She'd cut a creature deep and try to escape. As it moved, the blood drained and it started to affect the brain. The first thing to go was usually the eyes. _Ah, there it goes. Now I know how Gaara felt. _Her vision had turned fuzzy. But she could clearly see the yellow head with the two black heads. Naruto and his friends. Then there was something flying towards them. _No! _Her burnt leg creaked as she leapt.

Then the pain was back, in her shoulder and arm this time. She fell, but something was keeping her propped up. It felt warm. She looked up and just managed to see the yellow again. It was getting blurrier, more like a cloud than a head. Then there was wet on her cheeks. He was crying. She reached up and placed her bleeding stump beside his chakra-coated face. "I did what Dad asked. I looked after you." She took a long shuddering breath. "Now look after them. Tell Gaara I love him. I love you too." Then the pain drew her back into that black place.


	37. Love wins in the end

**This is the end of the main arch. Would anyone like more, or should I end it here?**

The fight continued. The Allied forces held off the enemy but weren't able to make much headway. Naruto enveloped Misa in a chakra shroud. It cauterized her numerous wounds, but it was probably too late for the girl. He placed her out of what he hoped was harm's way. The fight raged on. When Minato arrived, he took one look at his little girl and knew that she was done for. The least he could do was keep her from further disfigurement. He moved her to an area behind the enemy, so any attacks sent in that direction would have to go through the beast first.

Finally, the climax arrived. Obito and Madara leapt off of the Ten-Tails. The beast dove towards Obito. Obito stepped forward to accept it. He was very unlucky. The two of them had landed in the exact spot where Misa had lost her hands. So, when Obito took a step forward, he slipped in the large pool of blood. Madara slipped in it as well. The beast couldn't stop its momentum, and so it sailed into the next available vessel. Misa, who had been placed there with the intention of protecting her.

Minato, Naruto, and every other able ninja took advantage of their poor footing to bind each with dozens of different seals. Then Minato and Naruto turned to look at Misa. Nothing was happening. They decided to try and get closer. It was actually quite easy. They just walked up to the shroud and looked in at her.

What they saw made them both overjoyed. Her shoulder wounds were closing up. Her wrists were expanding, growing. You could even begin to make out individual fingers. But, even though they could see the beginnings of knuckles, neither one could see what was going on inside her

Misa was thrust from a world of black into a world of dark red. There was a beast in front of her. It was like nothing Misa had ever seen. It looked almost human, except what human has one blazing read eye and ten tails? Not to mention the oddly shaped head or sheer size of the thing. Then it spoke. "Who are you that you do not succumb to my power?"

Misa thought for a minute, then answered very calmly. "I am someone who doesn't want it."

The beast fell flat on its face. It quickly sat back up, but not in the dignified cross-legged position it had been in before. Now it looked rather silly, with its legs splayed out and its torso leaning away from her. "What? But everyone wants my power. Even the Sage wanted it!"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Why would I want it? I don't need power to make people love me. And that's all I really want." She looked it up and down. "Do you have a name?"

The thing looked at her like she was crazy. "Do I have a… you're insane!" It got to its feet and started backing away. "You're crazy!" He turned and ran, clawing at the walls of the red space. "Let me out! I'm trapped in here with a crazy lady!"

She got to her own feet and started walking towards it. "I'll let you out, but only if you promise me something."

The giant turned back towards her, back pressed against the wall. "What?"

"Those people out there, the ones with the red eyes? They said that you were made of a bunch of different beasts. I want you to split back into those beasts while you're in here. Then each beast can leave as it is separated from you." Before she even finished the sentence, The beast started splitting as fast as it could.

Naruto watched as the chakra enveloping Misa exploded outward. Minato had to grab him and teleport them both out of reach of the blast, landing next to the newly arrived Gaara. Madara and Obito were not so lucky. Sealed as they were, they were unable to move out of the blast or use any sort of ninjustu or genjutsu. Both were fried to a crisp. The chakra reformed into the gigantic shape of the one tailed Sand spirit. It took a look around and sat down. This cycle of explosion and reformation continued until seven of the Biju were lined up.

Gaara wasn't watching. He was searching the battle ground for a certain redhead. He'd heard her scream and was so worried it was driving him crazy. He couldn't see her anywhere.

Once all the Biju were out in the open, Minato said to Naruto, "Let's go check on Misa." The two blondes started walking towards Misa, with Gaara in hot pursuit.

They found her lying on the ground, lying in a heap. Gaara saw the blood and, not knowing what had happened to her wounds, began frantically patting her down trying to find her injuries. His touch woke her up. A smile split her tired face. "You're okay!" She didn't have time to say more. She was in the middle of a three way hug, with the rest of the ninja world hurrying to join in.


	38. Deciding, dividing

After the battle, Misa got a check-up in one of the medical tents. Sakura looked the girl over. Her musculature was outstanding. Every part of her body was twined with whipcord. It was hard for her to believe that this hardened warrior was an older sister to that reckless idiot Naruto. She finished scanning for torn muscle or damaged chakra veins and let the girl go.

The second Misa was outside the tent she was attacked by a certain green-eyed Kazekage. Gaara tackled her from the side and knocked her over. They landed next to each other, looked into each other's faces, and started laughing like crazy. It was so good to be together again, and even better to be out of the shadows.

Gaara and Naruto had carried Misa back to the camp together. Some of the older Konoha ninja remembered the girl and her relationship with Naruto, so she was treated well enough by them. There were no suspicious glances or awkward questions, and those who didn't remember were quickly brought up to speed. But their reaction was nothing compared to the other ninja. Autographs, handshakes, hugs, even congratulations about her acceptance into the ninja world flowed from the other four villages like it was going out of style.

Sand was especially enthusiastic. Gaara had told them about his relationship with the girl, so many of them thought of her as the future wife of the Kazekage. And it didn't hurt that she'd done at least twice as many rescues for them as she had for any other village. But despite Sand's feelings that Misa belonged with them, she wasn't tied to any village. This was a problem.

As were the newly returned Biju. They'd been behaving themselves since they ran away from Misa. They were afraid of what she'd do to them if they didn't. But now they had to be divided up and sealed within compatible ninja. The Kages decided to hold a council to divide up the spoils.

"Well," Tsunade said as she leaned forward, "There are nine beasts in total so four villages will receive two and one will receive one. The Leaf and the Mist already have one Jinchuriki each."

The Raikage spoke up. "Why don't we just determine which village a particular Jinchuriki came from and seal that beast in a ninja of the same village?" He turned to Tsunade. "That leaves Leaf with only one Jinchuriki, but the Nine Tails is perhaps the most powerful of the lot so I think it's a fair decision."

She nodded. "That is the best solution, I think. I have no complaints." The others around the table also agreed. Tsunade leaned back in her chair. this next issue was not going to be fun. But there was no avoiding it. "There is another matter we should discuss as well." The others turned to look at her. "Now that Misa Uzumaki has come out of hiding, we need to decide which village she will belong to."

Uproar ensued. Each Kage started yelling why she should be a part of their villages. Finally, A shouted for silence. The Kage quit their individual arguments and sat down. Then the Raikage laid down the rules for discussion. "Alright. We will each voice the reasons we feel the Human Animal, Misa Uzumaki should be a part of our village. Official claims will be first, then community claims, and individual claims last. While one of us is talking, the other three will be silent. Clear?" The others responded that it was. "I will go first then."

"I believe Uzumaki-sama belongs in Kumogakure. We have no official claims on her, but she has become an integral part of our society. She has saved the lives of many of our children and Genin and Chuunin ninja. As a kage, I would like to see such a skilled, valuable person enter my village as a teacher and specialist in rescue missions. As for personal claims, I have none."

The Mizukage and Tsuchikage had similar reasons. The village loved her, she'd saved many of them, and she would be welcomed with open arms. However, neither had any official or personal claims.

Gaara got up from his seat. "Sand Village has offered Misa Uzumaki citizenship in our village. However, that was a week or so before I was kidnapped by the Akatsuki in their attempt to collect the biju. She has not yet given us an answer either way, mainly because she has been extremely busy looking after her brother and helping in this war. This offer was extended by the entire village, because she has helped over half of its inhabitants, including me, and is a large part of our hope. I do have a personal claim." He took a deep breath.

"Misa and I have loved each other for a very long time, over three years in fact. Events and situations have kept us from regularly seeing each other, as well as the difference in our ages. "He drew himself up to his now considerable height. "Now that I am a man and there are no catastrophes hanging over our world, we can finally realize our dream. I'm going to formally ask her to marry me tomorrow."

Silence followed his declaration, which then erupted into happy noise. Congratulations and questions flew thick and fast. How had they met? Did he have a ring? How far apart were they? Tsunade had to yell to get their attention back. "I still have to list my claims."

The Mizukage almost laughed. "You must be joking. She's practically a citizen there already. What claim could you possibly have to override a marriage proposal?"

"The fact that she is the daughter of the Fourth Hokage of our village." Gaara's heart dropped out of him altogether. Daughter? "And as such, she belongs to Konoha along with all of her experience. We will be taking her with us when we leave."


	39. Taking the next step

"What?" Misa almost shouted. "And they didn't think to ask me? This is my life, not theirs. I want to live with you." She put her head in her hands. Gaara didn't like seeing her like this, least of all when he was the cause. He'd asked to be the one to tell her their decision that night, so he could talk to her in private and construct a game plan if possible. They had to think of something. He was not going to let this happen, not after all the years he'd waited.

He put his hand underneath her chin and tilted it up until he was looking straight into her eyes. "Listen. Konoha only had one claim on you, the fact that you were born there. If you can find a way to discredit that one fact, you won't have to stay there. It could be anything. A loophole in the law, release for services rendered, immigration, there are so many ways to do this."

She was beginning to hold up her own head now and starting to look more serious. "So, while I'm there, I'll look for something to negate their claim and get out as fast as possible. Once that's done, I'll come straight to you." She kissed him on the cheek. "I'm not waiting anymore."

He blushed a little at her kiss, but not as much as he had when he was younger. Then he pulled something out of the inside of his vest. It was a narrow tube with a piece of paper wrapped around it. "I had the transport specialists work on this for me in case things didn't work out."

She raised one eyebrow. "Wait, you were expecting this?"

"Well, things haven't worked out for us before, so I wanted to be prepared in case it happened like that again. This paper is special. It's a sort of ink jutsu. The bird painted on the paper wrapped around the tube manifests when brushed with your hair." He rubbed it against his head and an ink-eagle unfolded from the tube, which was now tied to its back. "Then you whisper a person's name in its ear and it flies until it finds that person. To turn it off, you press your cheek against the tube." He did so, and the bird folded back onto the paper. Then he fiddled with the tube until one end came off. "We can slip songs or letters inside this tube and send them to each other." He handed it to her and asked "Do you like it?"

She kissed him again, on the other cheek. "I love it." Then she laughed a little. "But I might be so busy looking for a way out that I won't be able to send many letters."

"If you do I'll be sure to share them."

"What do you mean?"

"You mean I didn't tell you? I told the village that I was in love with you. That's one of the reasons they offered you citizenship."

Misa was a little shocked. She'd thought the village had wanted her because of what she'd done. _No, this is better. It means they really care about him now._ "Then you can ask for their help in planning the wedding. Just let me take care of the dress and music. But you should probably propose to me first."

Gaara took both her hands. "Come with me."

He led her out into the night. They passed the entrance to the camp, but the guards just nodded and let them on through. He led her for a few more minutes, then asked her to close her eyes. Misa did.

She felt it as the air began to cool to a wonderful temperature, and as the ground sloped gently downward. Then Gaara asked her to open her eyes.

They were surrounded by airborne candles. Dozens of candles were being held aloft by sand, and while they illuminated their surroundings softly, there was still enough of the night to see some of the stars. The silence was as soft as the light, a warm silence to match the night air. Then Gaara said "Jump."

She did, and sand slipped under her feet and carried her up into the sky. Gaara and the lights rose with her. Once they were about ten feet off the ground, he took her hands in his and said "Misa, you are my life. Everything that is good in me was created by you." He got down on one knee, but didn't let go of her hands. If anything, he held on tighter. "Now I ask you, will you make me your life?" He let go of her hand and pulled a velvet box out of him vest. He snapped it open.

The orange fire opal glinted in the candlelight, surrounded by emeralds no bigger than a grain of sand. The gold gleamed as he asked, "Will you marry me?"

Misa hesitated. "I don't know if I can. There's just so much I don't know about you, like your past, your family. Would you really want to marry someone who doesn't understand anything about you?" There. She'd said it, the thing that had been tormenting her since she first heard the start of his battle with his father. She'd done a good job of hiding it while she was around others and would have brushed it aside, except that she didn't want Gaara making a mistake. She didn't want him to promise himself to someone who, further down the road, wouldn't be able to accept him and love him because she hadn't known anything when she gave him her future.

Gaara saw her uncertainty. He didn't know the cause, but he knew that, whatever it was, they could work it out. "If you care so much about that, I'll tell you anything you want to know. Besides, I'm asking you and I don't know that much about you either. My question just needs an answer."

She knelt down in front of his and whispered "Yes." He slipped the ring onto her finger and they kissed for the first time as an engaged couple.


	40. Planning

Konoha stayed at the battleground for one more day, to collect and honor their dead, treat the more life threatening wounds, and to recover their strength from the fighting. Misa spent the whole day with Gaara. She figured that she'd have as long as it took to find the loophole to have fun with Naruto, so time with him could wait. Her fiancé—she still got the shivers when she thought about that—only got this last day with her before they were separated for who knew how long.

They spent the day talking, mostly about their wedding plans. "I think we should probably have a more Western one." Suggested Gaara.

"Why?" asked Misa.

"Because I'm Kazekage and you're, well, you. It'll be the wedding of the century, so the more people who can attend the better. Besides," he pulled her in a little closer. "I can't wait to see you in that dress."

She giggled. Then her face lit up as she got an idea. "Why don't you pick it out?"

Gaara almost chocked on a laugh. "What?"

"I'll pick out what I want you to wear, and you'll do the same for me. We won't be able to actually sew it or anything, because of sizes, but we can decide the general design."

Gaara was grinning now. "Are you sure? You never know, I might have a dirty mind."

"It's just as risky for you, buster." They both laughed, but agreed to wear whatever the other person chose. They talked about music and guests for a full three hours after that. Naruto, Temari, and Kankuro were givens, but people like Moshiro, Tsukushi, and even Bee made it on the list. When they had exhausted all possible wedding topics, Misa brought up something she'd been thinking about since last night.

They were sitting on a log outside of the camp with her head on Gaara's shoulder when she started talking about it. "You know, with that new system you showed me last night, we can send songs to each other much faster. Maybe we shouldn't just send completed songs."

He leaned his head against hers and sighed as his cheek brushed her hair. He never put up his sand shield or armor when she was around. "Then what should we send instead?"

"What if we sent each other a verse or refrain and the other person had to come up with the next part and send it back to get the next section?"

Gaara turned towards her, coming out from under her and knocking her off balance. He caught her by the arm and held on until she steadied herself. He was a little worried. "Are you alright?"

She smiled at him. "I'm fine. It's just that I'm still a little anemic from losing all that blood when I lost my hands, and I don't know my blood type so I haven't been able to get a blood transfusion. My chakra is helping to supply new blood, though, so I'll be alright in a few days." He relaxed. "So what do you think of the idea? Us writing duets?"

"I think it's a great idea. But how many parts does each song get?"

"I think one refrain, two verses, and a small in between part should work. Once we've finished those, we have to start on a new one. Sound good?"

"As long as I get to start the first one."

She punghed him lightly on the shoulder. "No fair!" They started wrestling with each other, verbally sparring. Both of them ended up stretched out on the grass laughing. Then Misa looked up and saw the darkening sky. "It's getting kind of late."

He sighed and got up. He offered her a hand. "Our villages are both leaving tomorrow. We should probably go back and get ready."

Konoha left early in the morning, they didn't want to be mobbed by people trying to say goodbye to Naruto's sister, and there was always the chance someone would kidnap her. So Misa didn't get to say goodbye to anyone before she headed off to live in a place she vaguely remembered with a brother who didn't know her at all and surrounded by strangers. _Oh well. Let's hope this will be a short stay. _


	41. Lessons

It wasn't going to be. Misa had already been in Konoha for nearly two months, looking through legal documents, registrations, and court decisions. She hadn't found a single case in which a citizen of Konoha was allowed to leave for honorable reasons. You were either exiled or dead. Those were the only ways you left.

And she wanted to leave badly. It wasn't just that Gaara was waiting for her; although that was eighty-five percent of the reason she wanted to leave. The other fifteen percent was the way she was treated. Konoha hadn't known anything about her before the battle, except for those who remembered her as a four-year-old girl. But they were few and far between, and were almost uncertain as the ones who knew even less than they did.

This uncertainty changed to fear, and she felt it in the eyes that bored into her back. No one reached out to her, greeted her, or even smiled. Transactions like shopping were strictly professional, and those were carried out as quickly as possible. She wasn't given any work, which was a bit of a blessing because it gave her more time to look. But it still hurt.

Although, looking at it from a Konoha resident's point of view, they did have reason to be scared. It wasn't just that the girl was orange like the fox. She'd carried the Ten Tails inside her body. What if there was still some of his hatred inside her? What if she couldn't control it? What if she didn't want to? They had kicked her out and separated her from Naruto. She had reason to hate them and want compensation.

But Naruto helped to balance that all out. She loved spending time with him, teaching and learning from him. Today they were going to practice Kunai throwing, something she'd been looking forward too.

When they reached the range, Misa had Naruto throw ten Kunai at a straw target. Five bounced off because they lacked force, and those that hit were in the two outer rings. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Misa was doubled over with laugher. "You call that throwing?! I've seen squirrels with better aim!" She collapsed onto the ground in giggles.

He huffed and crossed his arms. "I dare you to do better!"

She stopped laughing immediately. "I need to practice over there." They walked over to the advanced range. This had ten different targets all at different ranges, directions, and angles. Only Jounin practiced in this area.

Misa took out ten Kunai knives. "You might want to stand back." Five seconds later, five of the targets were toppled over or ripped off of where they were pinned. The other ones had a hole in their bull's eye where the kunai had gone clean through. Misa frowned. "Aw man! I need to practice holding back."

Naruto stopped being wide-eyed and shouted "That was amazing! You've got to teach me to throw like that!"

"Okay, but why don't we start somewhere a little closer to your skill level?" They walked back to the simple target range. Once they got there, Misa asked Naruto to show her his throwing stance.

He planted his feet firmly, one foot in front of the other. His torso leaned back and his arm extended over his head. Then he catapulted forward, releasing the knife at the last possible moment. It stuck in the target the third ring from the center. It was the best throw he'd had since they started.

She clapped. "Good job. But how many times do you think you'll be able to take that exact stance in a battle before someone kills you while you're getting ready? You need to be able to throw from any position, any angle. For example," She crouched low to the ground, slipped her arm to her side, and whipped it forward, letting go of the knife when her hand was right in front of her face. It shot towards the target and buried itself in the bull's eye. "If you can throw like that, you don't have to give up your cover, and still have a good chance of hitting your target. Now you try."

It took another three hours of practice, during which she helped to position his arm and demonstrated the throw again several times. By the end, he was able to hit the outermost ring and make the knife stick into the straw. Choji and Neji came through halfway through the practice and stuck around to watch. Choji just laughed every time Naruto missed or almost hit his own face trying to get the kunai in front. He laughed a lot.

But Neji wasn't watching Naruto. He was watching Misa. The head of the clan had, of course, forbidden any unnecessary contact with the girl. "She is unknown to us, with much reason to strike back at us for what we put her through those seventeen years ago. Do not give her any reason to hate us further. Our clan will have nothing to do with her." From the dire warnings, he'd expected someone like Sasuke, before Naruto turned him around of course. But here she was, acting like, well, a big sister. There was nothing vengeful about her.

The only thing that was a little worrisome was just how good she was. She was amazing, and not just at the crouching and regular throws. She'd shown Naruto the throw from the side, downward, straight up, and even from behind the head. And each one slammed into the bull's eye. If she aimed for you, she'd hit, and you'd never see it coming. In fact, his thoughts were remarkably similar to Tsukishi's, the first time she'd seen the girl's skill.

Then Naruto saw them. "Hey guys! Come see what Misa's been teaching me!"

_It can't hurt to find out a little more about her, _Thought Neji. He slid down from his perch above the range and joined the practice session.


	42. Naruto Finds Out!

**The song I used is I Want Crazy by Hunter Hayes. I did change a little, but most of the credit should go to him.**

Naruto was grinning from ear to ear. He nudged Misa with one of his elbows. "Hey, let's get Ramen for dinner."

She grabbed his ear and pulled. "Mhm. Not tonight mister. You've just had a serious workout. We need something with protein."

She let go of his ear and he rubbed it. "Did ya have to pinch so hard? And why do we need protein, anyway. Ramen gives me plenty of energy."

"Because, silly, protein is what builds your muscles. You're not doing any of those throws with any force unless you bulk up. Come on." She grabbed his ear again and yanked him down the street. "We're going to barbeque."

The bell over the door rang as they entered the restaurant. People looked to see who it was, then immediately looked down at their food. _It's her. _They all thought.

Naruto barged right in. "Hey! Can I get a table for two? I'm eatin' out with Sis!"

"Oh, it's you Naruto. There's a table ready right over there. What'll you be having?"

"Something with protein. Oh wait, that's everything. What do you think?" He turned to Misa.

"I think the double steak should be good for us. And we'll have the mustard sauce with it."

The manager turned away before answering. "I'll deliver it to your table."

Misa quickly walked away from the counter towards the table the man had gestured at. Naruto looked back and forth between the two of them. What was going on? He raced after her.

The mean was an awkward one. Misa seemed down, and no matter how many jokes or crazy comments Naruto made, she didn't seem to react. Finally he gave up and they finished their meal in silence.

She didn't say much on the way home either. He went on and on about the mission Tsunade wanted him to do with Sakura and Sasuke, something about relations with the Mist village. He kept pausing, giving her openings to interrupt him, but she never did. She just seemed to get more and more depressed.

Finally, when they got back to their apartment, Naruto stepped in front of the door and looked his sister in the eyes. "What's up?"

"Nothing." She mumbled. "Let's go in."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong. What happened? We were having a great time today with Choji and Neji, but as soon as we went into that restaurant you seemed out of it."

"I'm telling you, nothing's wrong," She said, getting louder. "Now get out of the way! It's cold out here." She pushed past him, slipped off her shoes, and walked up to her bedroom. She shut the door hard.

Naruto went in, slid off his shoes, and walked upstairs to collapse onto his bed. _Am I ever gonna to understand girls?_ If he'd asked Misa she would have said… had he ever asked her that? He walked over to her room to pose the question when he heard something. Gaara's voice was coming out of his sister's bedroom.

"I loved the bridge you sent me last time. We're working on a band version, now that we have all the parts. Temari's getting good with that flute thing you gave me, and Kankuro turned some of his puppets into drums. Here's the refrain for the next one. Before you listen to it, let me explain. The villagers have been getting uneasy. You haven't shown any signs of coming back. I know you want to, and I'll wait as long as it takes. We are engaged. It's just that, some of the girls in the village are beginning to close in, and their dads are backing them up. They keep telling me to give up on you, that it's crazy to hold on. And they're right. It would be much easier to just choose one of them. I wrote this first verse as an answer to them. Please send me a refrain."

I wanna take a week and come on by.

I gotta see the color in your eyes

I'm telling myself I'm gonna be alright

Without you Misa are the hardest times.

Yeah, our first kiss, Misa, seasons changed

Got washed away in a summer rain.

You can't undo a fall like this

Cause love don't know what distance is.

Yeah, I know it's crazy.

_Gaara can SING! _ Naruto pressed his ear against the keyhole, waiting for more. There was a pause, papers rustling, a kissing sound, some clicking, and then music. Then Misa started to sing, and she was just as good. It matched his verse perfectly, with pitch and melody, everything. It was seamless.

I don't want good and I don't want good enough.

I want can't sleep, can't breathe without your love.

We'll get there note by note, it doesn't make sense to anybody else.

Who cares if you're all I think about.

I've searched the world and I know now

It ain't right if you ain't lost your mind.

I don't want easy, I want crazy.

Are you with me, Gaara? Let's be crazy.

She stopped singing. And started crying. "I miss you so much I can't stand it! I'm falling apart without you. I swear, the next time I send you a letter, it'll be telling you to come and get me. That, or I'm dead." There was a short kissing sound, then nothing.

Naruto crept back to his room, shut the door quietly, and fell on the bed. _She's in love with him?! She's four years older than him and a Leaf ninja! How did they even meet? _He was about to barge into her room and demand an explanation when he remembered what she'd said. _Come and get me? Does she want to leave? Why would she want that? _Then he thought about what had happened that night.

_Why would she want to stay? She doesn't have anyone here besides me. She probably has tons of friends in Sand, since she helped them so much. And didn't Gaara say that they were engaged? When did that happen?_ He got up and walked towards the mirror. _Now that I think about it, the only times she was really happy here was when it was just the two of us. Even having Choji and Neji around today seemed to stretch her. Maybe going back is the best thing for her. But how would I do it?_ He fell asleep before he could figure it out.


	43. A way out

The next day Naruto took Misa to the Konoha graveyard. _Maybe if we go see Mom and Dad it'll be a good time for me to bring up Gaara. I could pray for him in front of them or something. _They bought a bouquet of flowers along the way, along with some incense.

Misa was a little scared to visit. She hadn't seen Mom since she was four, although she had gotten to talk to dad during and after the battle. What would she say? _Hey Mom, guess what? I've been living like an animal for the past sixteen years and fell in love with a guy from a different village. What do you think we should do for flowers? _The thought was frightening.

They reached the graveyard. There was no one else there except Kakashi, but he was always there, staring at the place where he had thought Obito was buried. Now, though, he just stared at Rin's grave. Naruto knew where to find their graves. Kages got special tombstones, and there were a few smaller ones around them, family members and such. He motioned Misa over. "One of the big ones is for Dad, since he was a Hokage. Mom's stone should be somewhere close by."

Misa found the big stone with "Minato" carved into it. She said a prayer of wellbeing for his spirit, then started reading the tombstones around the base, looking for Mom's. She found something else first. "Naruto," She turned around. Her face was white. "I'm dead." She was kneeling in front of a stone with her name on it.

She ran out of the graveyard and to the village library. She thrust her shoulders over the counter until she was nose to nose with the librarian. "Please, I need to see the fatality record for Konoha children. Do you know where I can find it?"

The assistant backed up, but said "Sure" and came out from behind the counter. "It's this way." She led Misa down a long aisle of shelves before turning into one. "This is where we keep the records for marriages, births, and deaths in the village. Were you looking for a particular year?"

She thought about the numbers on the tombstone and did some quick math. "How about sixteen years ago?"

The girl reached up onto one of the higher shelves and pulled out a thick scroll. "All the deaths from that year are listed here. It was the year of the Nine Tailed Fox's attack, so there were more deaths than normal. Do you need help finding anything else?"

"No, this is fine. Can you show me a place where I can sit and read?"

The girl said that she could and showed Misa an area full of armchairs. She settled into one and unrolled the scroll. The deaths were listed according to the times and dated they occurred. She searched through until she found a list of people who had all died on the same day, with the same cause. It said that they were killed in the attack of the Nine Tailed Fox. If the village had written her off, this was where they would have done it. With so many deaths, it would have been easy to cover hers up.

There! "Misa Namikaze, age four. A victim of the Nine Tailed Fox attack." This was it. This was her way out.

She ran to the check-out desk. "Excuse me, I'd like to check out this record." She threw the scroll at the man behind the counter.

He narrowly avoided the projectile and stammered, "We don't check out records, I'm afraid."

"Then give me something to write with!" He hurriedly handed her a piece of paper and a charcoal pencil. They weren't as elegant as ink, but they came in handy for situations like this. Misa found her name again, copied it out, and thrust the scroll back. "Please reshelf this for me." Then she tore out of the library headed straight for home.

She crashed through the doors and took the stairs five at a time. Luckily, she hadn't sent off the tube yet in case she'd wanted to add more to the letter. Oh boy, did she have something to add! She took out another of the seal papers, but then paused for a moment. What if she told him to come get her and it wasn't enough? What if the village still didn't let her go? She'd have to check with the authorities before getting his hopes up.

She took the stairs in one leap, barely avoided breaking the doors, and bolted for the Hokage's office.


	44. Making it official

Tsunade was going through some of the petitions from the citizens when the orange bullet penetrated her office. "Tsunade, I need to talk to you."

Misa was a mess. Her hair was windblown from her fastest running, a guard was attached to each ankle, and her face was flushed brighter than her hair. But the girl looked very serious. "What was the reason you were allowed to take me with you when we left the battlefield?"

Tsunade sighed. "We've been over this before. You are a child of Konoha. Your brother is slated to be the Sixth. You belong to us."

Misa stepped forward and slammed a piece of paper onto the Hokage's desk. "The girl you're talking about is dead. She died in the attack sixteen years ago."

Tsunade looked at the slip of paper. "This is just a piece of paper. It has no authorization whatsoever, and proves nothing."

"Well, I would have bought you the whole scroll, but they said I wasn't allowed to check it out."

"Then I'll have to check that scroll. Let's go." Tsunade got up from her desk and told the guards to detach themselves. "I'll be going to the library. There's something I have to check in one of the records."

When they got to the library, Misa asked to see the scroll she'd been looking at earlier. They hadn't had time to reshelf it yet, so they handed it back. Misa skimmed it until she found the section she was looking for. "There. That's my name, with the age I was when the Fox struck and Naruto was born. Acording to Konoha, Naruto's sister is dead. I'm someone completely different. So the only claim you have on me is gone." She rolled the scroll up and put it back on the counter. "Are there any arguments about this?"

Tsunade was at a loss. _How did her name end up there? She's standing in front of me! _"Perhaps your family had two daughters, each named Misa. Only the other one died."

"I think I would have known if I had a sister."

"I'll still need to check the birth records for the year this supposed Misa was born." She did, and found that there was only one Misa Namikaze. She checked under every possible name, but there was only one Misa on the whole scroll. The older woman conceded defeat. Somehow, her name had gotten into the records, and she was willing to bet that it didn't appear anywhere but these two places. She really didn't have any hold on the girl anymore.

She might as well admit it. "It seems you really have no legitimate connection with us. You are free to leave at any time."

"Yes!" Misa shouted! Heads turned and the person behind the counter tried to tell her that this was a library, people were trying to read. He didn't get the chance. She was already gone.

This time, she did break the door as she ran up to where the letter was waiting. She thought for a minute. How should she tell him? Misa decided to play a little prank on him.

She gave her voice a sad tone and said "Hey Gaara, I don't know if I can do this anymore. You're so far away from me now, so removed from my life. Maybe you should just…" She paused, imangining what his face looked like right now. Then she whispered "Come and get me." She kissed the parchment and screamed for happiness. Yes! She could finally go back.

Then Naruto called from downstairs. "Misa, are you okay?" Naruto. How was she going to tell him?


	45. Brother and Sister talk

Naruto climbed the stairs to her bedroom. There were so many questions. _What did she mean, she was dead? Why had she run off like that? Did it have something to do with Gaara? Was it because she hated their parents? Had something happened that he didn't know about? Could he help? _He slowly opened the doorway and peered in. Misa was sitting on the bed.

She smiled at her brother and said "Come and sit with me." He did. "Naruto, I'm leaving." _Here it comes. But I can't be swayed, even if he begs me._

"Does this have something to do with Gaara?" She blinked. This was the last thing she'd expected him to say.

"What?"

"So it doesn't?"

"No, it does but…how did you know?"

He pointed at the piece of paper still in her hand. "Do you think you're the only one who can hear those? I was listening to that song you got from Gaara yesterday. By the way, you're a pretty good singer."

Misa gave a little laugh. "I can't believe you didn't say anything."

He shrugged. "I didn't really know how to bring it up. That's why I took you to Mom and Dad's grave. I figured I could do something there to let you know, like pray to them for your happiness. But I didn't really get the chance, you ran off so fast." He searched her face. "What was that about, anyway?"

She laughed again. "I saw a grave marker with my name and birthday on it. The grave's probably empty, but I checked the records. That's where I ran off to, the library. According to the village death count, I was killed the day you were born. I don't exist."

"And what does this have to do with you and Gaara?"

"The only reason I'm here is because the village forced me. I wanted to spend time with you, but I wouldn't have done it here. The people here are too hostile. I'd planned to go back to Sand with Gaara and have you visit for the wedding and a while afterwards. But Konoha had a pretty strong claim on my loyalties."

She stood up and faced him. "Misa Namikaze was born here, so her services belonged to Konoha. Had she stayed, she would have enrolled in the Academy and become a ninja working for the village. But she didn't. According to village records, she died when she was four. So I can't be her. And if I'm not her, I'm not a part of this village in any way. I don't have to stay, and I'm not going to."

Naruto got up from the bed and grabbed her hand. "But I know! I know you're my sister! I know you're alive!"

She gently unpeeled his fingers. "We both know. The village lied. They didn't think I would last in the woods, so they wrote me off as a lost cause and staged my death. Because they gave up on me, they have no right to say I belong to them, now that I'm a useful tool." Then she hugged him. "But their mistake doesn't change the reality that I am your sister and that I love you. It just means I don't have to live where I'm not happy. That's a good thing, right?"

He was starting to shake in her arms. "Don't worry, you can come and visit me. Sand and Leaf are on good terms with each other right now. In fact, my marriage with Gaara might improve relations even more. And you're Gaara's good friend. He'd love to see you, whenever you come. And you don't really need me here, do you?"

"Yes I do!" He said in a muffled voice.

"Not really." She let go enough to see his face. "I've been watching. The village might be afraid of me, but they love you. And you have such great friends here, like Sakura and Kiba. Even the adults look up to you, in a way. You're just a few short steps away from being Hokage."

She pulled him in close again. "And when you do, and there's a Kage summit, we'll be able to see each other again. Now you have even more reason." She finally let go of him, and he ran out of her room. Probably to cry.

She sat back down on the bed. The things she said to Naruto were beginning to sink in. The village had given up on her a long time ago. They'd never wanted her, only what she could do. They hadn't had to fight for her. She'd been handed to them, and they hadn't done anything with her because they'd never wanted her. She got out her guitar, tested its tuning, and started working on a song. (Melody-Lion King's One of Us)

Rejection

Disgrace

Different as plain as the fur on my face

Rejection

Disgrace

I asked for heartbreak the moment I came

Rejection, completely!

Disgrace

Painful as plain as the fear on their face.

Rejection, still hurting

Disgrace

I was a monster the moment I came.

Left alone

Lived by fate.

Now I bear the brunt of hate.

Let me run

Let me live

So once I am gone they can finally forgive

And I am not one of them

I have never been one of them

I am not part of them

Not their kind

Need to run, to escape

So my love I find

Cant' survive with these people who shun

And I know I can never be one of them

I am not one of them

Rejection

Disgrace

Rejection

Disgrace

Rejection


	46. His response

"So that's your mission. Report back once it's completed."

"Sir!" The four man cell responded in unison and headed out the door. The office was empty again.

Gaara put his head down on the desk. It had been a week since he'd sent his last tube song. Was Misa mad at him for talking about other girls to her?

One of the guards outside popped his head in. "Excuse me sir, but someone is here to see you."

Gaara slowly got back up. "Let him in."

"Sir." The head disappeared. He passed his hand over his face in exhaustion. _It's probably Yamagata-san. Why did he have to show up now, when I'm already tired? He's been at it all week. _Yamagata-san was one of the fathers who had been angling for his daughter; a shy little girl who'd been dogging Gaara's every move recently. It was obvious she was infatuated. Gaara had told her earlier that week that, while he appreciated her feelings, he couldn't return them because he was still in love with Misa. She'd acted all meek and accepting in front of him, then ran to complain to her father.

Now he couldn't get through a day without the man coming and pushing his daughter forward, like she was a business venture or something. Didn't the man understand? This wasn't something Gaara could control. He loved Misa! He missed her every second of the day! He threw himself into his work so he could momentarily forget the lack of her presence, the absence of her voice. He'd set records for the amount of paperwork he could get done in one day. And every time that man walked into his office, it was a huge reminder that the one he loved was in a different country altogether, and might not ever make it back to him. The door opened and Gaara prepared himself for another of those pointless arguments.

But it wasn't Yamagata. It was a younger ninja, little more than a boy. "Excuse me, sir, but I found this thing banging itself against the wall outside the building. I thought you might want to take a look at it." As he spoke, he held out the ink bird and message tube that Gaara and Misa had been using to communicate. The bird was pecking its ink beak at the boy's hands, trying to make him let go. Luckily, it wasn't doing much damage.

Gaara smiled. "It's alright, you can let go." The boy released his grip and the bird flew forward and landed on Gaara's outstretched hand. "Thank you for bringing this to me. You may go now." The boy bowed deeply and left.

Now Gaara was glad the day was almost over. He had to wait until he was back in his apartment before opening the tube. He rubbed the bird against his head and the ink sank back into the paper. He stored it in his desk and waited impatiently for the day to end.

A clock down the hall bonged seven times. _Finally! _Gaara grabbed the tube out of his desk drawer and headed for home. Several people greeted him as he walked, but he just smiled and waved to them. He wanted to get home quickly this time. Once he reached his bedroom, he unsealed the tube and reached in for the letter. _Hmm. She doesn't usually send two. Something must have happened. Is she having second thoughts? Did I really say too much? _Gaara kissed the first piece of paper.

"Hey Gaara, I don't know if I can do this anymore." He had said too much! Why had he told her about those other girls? "You're so far away from me now, so removed from my life. Maybe you should just…" His grip on the paper tightened. _No, don't say it. Don't give up on me._ "Come and get me."

The recording stopped. Gaara sat down abruptly. What? Had she said…She had! Yes! Misa had found it! He was halfway through the door to tell Temari before he remembered the other piece of paper. He'd have to check it for stuff like travel plans and dates. He sat down before kissing it this time.

It immediately kicked off with singing. It was the refrain for the verse he'd sent her last time!

I don't want good and I don't want good enough.

I want can't sleep, can't breathe without your love.

We'll get there note by note, it doesn't make sense to anybody else.

Who cares if you're all I think about.

I've searched the world and I know now

It ain't right if you ain't lost your mind.

I don't want easy, I want crazy.

Are you with me, Gaara? Let's be crazy.

Then she stopped singing, because she couldn't. She started crying. _Oh, Misa. _Now he knew which one she'd recorded first. "I miss you so much I can't stand it! I'm falling apart without you. I swear, the next time I send you a letter, it'll be telling you to come and get me. That, or I'm dead." _Well, you won't have to wait much longer. _He kissed the paper to stop the recording, then went out to find Temari.


	47. Leaving

**This will probably be the last chapter Naruto is in. There's not much further to go, though.**

The next day, Gaara announced that he would be taking a leave of absence. Misa Uzumaki was finally able to join their village as a citizen and as his wife. He left the village in the care of Kankuro and left with Temari and Aoi, a Jounin ninja, to go get here. They'd be there is three days, and Misa would be waiting for him.

Misa didn't take much when she left. Her camping equipment, a few mementoes from her days as the Human Animal, and her sketches of Gaara's wedding outfit. She'd surprised herself by how girly she could be, but looked some of the designs she'd come up with. She dropped by to tell Tsunade when she was leaving, and to make sure there were no problems with her departure. She didn't want to escape only to be dragged back. But try as she might, Tsunade could not find another legitimate reason to keep Misa in the village.

So, on the day Gaara had said to expect him, she slid on her old hide clothes, slipped on her boots and travel pack, and opened the door. She took a step forward, and fell over Naruto.

She hissed. What was he doing, lying in front of her door? He had been drinking? _I know, he's technically an adult and so can drink, but that doesn't mean he should! _"Sister?" Naruto had woken up and was rubbing his eyes. Then he saw the pack and boots. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

She got off of him and sat on her feet. "Yes. Gaara's expecting me. We'll get the wedding date set, and then I'll send you an invitation."

He got up and sat in front of her. "I don't think I'll be able to go. Granny Tsunade will probably send me on a mission or something and make me miss it on purpose. So I wanted to give this to you before you left." He held out two lockets. "There are paintings of Mom and Dad in one of them. I found in the library and had Sai copy them in miniature for me." She clicked it open.

There they were, even clearer than she remembered them. Then she asked her brother, "Who's in the other one?" She held up the second one he'd given her.

"One of the sides has me in it. The other side, well, that's for Gaara." Then he reached over and hugged her. "I'm glad. He's the best person I could have picked for you." Then he let go. "Can I come to the gate with you?"

"Only if you hurry."

The two walked in companionable silence. The streets were empty of others, and most of the lights were still off. When they reached the gate, Gaara was waiting for them. Misa turned to her brother. "This is goodbye, I guess." She hugged him, then walked toward Gaara.

Naruto could feel his eyes starting to get wet as he shouted to Gaara. "Take care of her. She's the only family I've got, ya know." He waved them goodbye. "Good luck!" He managed to smile.

She waved back at him. "Good luck becoming Hokage! I expect to see you at the next summit! I love you!" Then she and Gaara turned and ran off into the trees.

He kept waving even after they were gone. "I love you too." Then he turned and started walking back to his now empty apartment.


	48. Preparations

_I have to admit, my brother did a better job than I thought. _Temari was helping Misa put on the dress Gaara had designed for her. It was beautiful. The main part was a white kimono with cap sleeves that barely extended past her shoulders, with an iridescent blue sash tied in a smaller version of the traditional bow. The skirt wrapped around like a kimono, but fanned out to the sides and back in a half-circle, trimmed with blue-tinted lace. The long fitted sleeves that emerged from underneath the shorter cap sleeves were made out of the same lace and reached all the way down to her hands, ending in four pearl rings around her fingers. The shoes were a daintier version of her traveling boots, in the same white as the dress.

Misa saw Temari looking her over and blushed. "How does it look?"

She smiled and grabbed one of the makeup brushes. "It's gorgeous. Now sit down and let me do your hair." Temari took the top half and braided it into a spiral pattern on top of her almost-sister-in-law's head, but left the bottom half hanging. As she braided, she thought back on the day Gaara had brought her home from Konoha.

They'd arrived late in the afternoon. Temari hadn't been on guard duty or out on mission, so she was at home when Gaara brought her in. The two had been beaming at each other the whole time he talked with Temari. He asked her if Misa could stay with her until the wedding, and if she could help with the wedding preparations. Once she'd agreed, Gaara had gone to start sending out invitations and left the two girls alone.

Temari didn't give the silence time to settle. She leaned forward and demanded, "Why do you love my brother?"

Misa had starred at her with that deer-in-the-target-range look. "What?"

"I asked, why do you love Gaara?"

"Are you asking why I fell in love with him or why I love him now?"

"Both."

Misa relaxed from her nervous posture and sat naturally. "I fell in love with Gaara because I put my heart in his hands and he didn't shy away from me. When I met him, he couldn't see." She'd continued to tell the whole story about how they'd met, their days traveling together, and finally their goodbye kiss. "He was so vulnerable, but then so was I. We leaned on each other and grew strong from the other's support. I guess we fell in love with that ability, the openness we shared during that time."

Temari was nodding in understanding. That made sense. He had been pretty confused when they'd met. He'd needed support. "But you guys aren't like that anymore. So why do you still love him?"

"Well, it's not simply that I love him anymore. We've built our lives around each other. He became Kazekage so he could make a home for me here, and I became the Human Animal so that it would be easier for this village to accept me as his bride. I didn't run into that battle just because Naruto was going. I also went to find Gaara and protect him. I just can't imagine a life without him in it."

_He's so lucky to have someone that in love with him, _thought Temari as she finished the braid. Then she started on the hair she'd left hanging down.

In one of the other rooms, Kankuro was helping Gaara into his outfit. He was the best man, but he was still hesitant. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything. I've built my life around this day. I'm going to see it through. So, how do I look?"

"Amazing. She really did you justice." Gaara's Western-style suit was a simple affair, with graceful lines and elegant colors. The vest and trousers were a bluish grey, a great contrast to the white shirt, tie, and tailcoat. It was fairly fitted, enough to provide a slim, strong figure but still loose enough to be comfortable.

Temari peaked in at them and said, "Five minutes until you're needed in the church. You'd better finish getting ready." Then she popped back out to go help Misa.

The girl was totally useless with things like curling irons and makeup. But that was to be expected. She had been  
living in the woods for most of her adult life. There wasn't much to do in the way of makeup, but Temari could put some mascara on her and help brush her fur smooth. Once they'd curled her loose hair, Temari gently pushed the pearl-studded comb into the front of her braid and flung the main part of the veil over her back. It just touched the ground behind her. Then she gently flipped the shorter layer over Misa's face.

Misa turned towards the mirror. Temari came up beside her, dressed in her gown of the same iridescent blue. "Gaara is so lucky," she said as she slipped a chain with Misa's engagement ring on it around the girl's neck. "Come on. He's waiting."


	49. The Wedding

It was a good thing that Misa and Gaara had decided to have their wedding outside. There wasn't a single building in the village that could have housed that many people. Half of Suna had been invited, and dozens of foreign guests, as well as the leaders of all the other villages. Even Tsunade showed up, but more for diplomatic reasons than anything else. When the music started, everyone craned their necks around to get a first glimpse of the wedding party.

Temari and Kankuro walked up first. Temari looked around in the crowd, smiling at everyone she knew and frowning when she spotted Konoha. Kankuro just stared at his brother.

Then Misa walked into view.

There were a few gasps and sighs as the crowd caught sight of her. But neither Misa nor Gaara noticed. Their eyes were having a conversation.

His eyes asked, _do you like the music I picked for this part?_

Hers answered,_ yes. Isn't it the first song I ever gave you?_

_ Yes. I thought it was a good match. You really are coming home now._

Misa smiled even wider beneath the veil. _I know. And I'm so happy._

When she stepped up beside him in front of the minister, their hands found each other and gently intertwined. As the minister began the ceremony with the customary invitation to the guests, their hands tightened and they looked at each other. Both were a little nervous. After all, they'd been waiting for this day for years. They wanted it to be as perfect as possible. Then, finally the time for the vows arrived.

The two beloved faced each other and clasped both their hands together. It was Gaara's turn first. "I, Gaara of the Sand, take you, Misa, to be my wife, my comrade, my partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of our family and friends, and those who will look to us for leadership, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, In wartime and in peacetime, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

Then Misa replied, almost shouting in her happiness. "I, Misa, take you, Gaara of the Sand, to be my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

They loosened their hold on each other's hands for the ring ceremony. They had decided to speak it in unison, rather than taking turns. "With this ring, I give you all that I am. I ask that you wear this ring for as long as we share this life together. With this ring, I marry you." Then they slipped the bands onto each other's hands.

There were no diamonds involved. They were simple circles, unless you looked on the inside of the ring. There, carved in fine script, were the words "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine."

A beautiful chalice was presented to the couple, along with two small pitchers of sake. First, Misa poured hers into the cup. "This is the teardrop I cried when I gave you back to your village. This is the blood that fell from my hands when I fought to keep you safe." She finished pouring and put the pitcher down.

Gaara lifted his own and poured as he said. "This is the sweat from the hours I spent training to become a man for you. This is the tear I cried when you told me we could finally be together." He put his pitcher down.

Together, they shouted to the world. "What was yours is now mine. I will share in your everything until the end of time." Misa picked up the goblet and drank from it. Gaara took it and did the same.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," said the minister. "You may now kiss our bride." Gaara gently lifted the front panel of the veil away from her face and over her head. They smiled at each other for a moment before leaning in. As they kissed, their hands found each other and twined together again, their rings gently clinking. The crowd erupted into cheers.


	50. Conductor, Creeper, and Conclusion

**I owe Banana Lobster from CAA, A.K.A. Vermilion Dragon from DeviantArt for the cover photo. She actually looks better than I had imagined her!**

Their reception lasted an entire week. Suna just didn't want to stop celebrating. Of course, all the traditional things like dances and a cake were taken care of on the first day, about an hour after the wedding so the chairs could be rearranged around tables.

The newlyweds had a great time. Now that the actual wedding was over, they began to relax and have some fun with each other. Faces smeared with cake, ridiculous dance moves, and numerous kisses marked the occasion. But hidden in the reception was much of their story.

Music. Every dance, every event, was accompanied by one of the songs they had written for each other or together as a duet. The magnitude of the music was lost on many of the villagers as they became busy with their own fun. But one person in particular noticed. Tsunade. Those lyrics wove through her mind and left her feeling both guilty and regretful. She left after the first day.

Then, when everyone had had their fill of celebration and went home to prepare for the next day of festivities, Gaara and Misa retreated to his home.

There were no spectacular decorations, beautiful music, or ceremonial code. It was only the two of them. But this was the place where they would finally surrender everything to each other, living out the vows they had taken only hours before.

Misa bit her lip nervously. "You know, maybe we should wait for this."

Gaara asked, "Why?"

"I don't know, it's just…"

He leaned down and kissed her again, tenderly. "It's okay. I'm scared too." She relaxed a little, and let Gaara lead her upstairs.

Epilogue

Suna entered a great time of prosperity and innovation. The war had displayed their strength to the Daimyos, and missions were pouring in. Gaara had to hire several secretaries to help with the paperwork. Of course, Misa was there most days, helping him with his load. This abundance of missions helped to supply the funds for her first research undertaking.

Misa had introduced music to the village, and it soon became a weapon as well as a pleasure to the village. Studies were conducted on the way the subconscious brain responded to music, culminating in songs and melodies that could be used in different situations, such as a stimulant for positivity before a battle, depressing melodies to make an enemy unknowingly drop their guard. But music as entertainment also grew underneath her tutelage. A choir sprang up, with Misa as both teacher and leading lady. There was no fee or audition required. Those who wished to sing could, and anyone could come to practice and listen in. "Come as you are" was the motto of this choir.

But her contributions weren't solely musical. She became the teacher and spearhead of a select group of ninja known only as the Panthers. And unlike the choir, you were handpicked for the job. The Panthers specialized in absolute stealth missions. This group was for those who, like Misa, couldn't use Genjustu of Ninjutsu well, but whose stealth skills were top of the line. Their reputation only grew as their mission completion rate rose to one hundred percent while their total losses remained a steady zero. The Panthers were honored and respected.

But only as a group. If you joined, your membership had to remain secret, even from other members of the Panthers. Only the original Human Animal knew who all the Panthers were. Once you chose to be part of this group, you lost all claim of fame and honor as an individual. Missions were undertaken wearing a black cloth mask over your features, and while not on mission you acted like everyone else. There was no biological of psychological tampering. Misa remembered only too well how it felt to be messed with. But if you were discovered, you left the group. Your presence in this core of comrades was erased. The threat was great enough that they never had to deal with any slipups.

The Kazekage and his wife should have been happy. The village was in love with hard work and fulfilling fun. All their endeavors blossomed and bore the fruit of a good life for their friends and comrades. But both still carried emptiness in their hearts.

Resurrections and near-resurrections had robbed them of their procreative abilities. After two years of trying, Misa and Gaara finally gave up their dream of having children of their own. But that didn't mean they had to surrender the wish to have a family. Surrogate daughters and sons are better than none, and the children at the orphanage loved both adults. Every time one came to sing in the choir, Misa would give them a big hug and put them right in front, especially the little ones. Those who were in the ninja school worked hard to make Kaze-Sama proud. So although the couple never got to see themselves reflected in a younger face, they did not want for little hugs and kisses. One of these daughters was especially good at the guitar. In fact, she would go on to entrance half the ninja world! But that's another story.


End file.
